Won't Let You Reach
by mickytaka558
Summary: Tooru knew the boy in front of him was a genius. But he wasn't going to let him reach him anytime soon. He needed to break him before the boy managed to do the same. [Oikawa/Kageyama] [Oikawa/Iwaizumi] [Iwaizumi/Kageyama]
1. Of Geniuses and Bad Feelings

**Won't Let You Reach**

* * *

><p>#1 - Of Geniuses and Bad Feelings<p>

* * *

><p>"I'm Kageyama Tobio from Akiyama Elementary. I've been playing volleyball since my second year there. I look forward to working with you."<p>

That day, Tooru has a bad feeling. He doesn't even realize that day is going to be the start of his downfall.

* * *

><p>It takes only a couple of days after that for every single member of the club, as well as the coaches, to realize the new first year entry has a bottomless talent in volleyball.<p>

Everyday, they only have eyes for him: his basics are amazing and with the tips the coach keeps giving him, it isn't going to take too long to develop them to perfection. He's a fast and eager learner but is also different from any other player.

His sense of things is overwhelmingly spectacular. Most prominently is how utterly happy he was when his hands touch the ball, and, along with that, the massive difference between others' skills at handling the ball and his own.

And now, as he watches him, Tooru understands; because he knows. He knows this kind of people.

There are things in which Tobio is similar to him, like his hunger for victory the strong will to improve everything he's capable of and an even stronger will to learn what he still isn't, but there is also one single difference, _THE difference_, that makes the two completely different from each other.

The first year's got the one thing Tooru wants more than anything, but lacks and has no way of getting it, no matter how much he tries: natural talent.

Kageyama Tobio is a genius. A prodigy.

And Tooru isn't.

No one doubts that the third-year captain is indeed the best player of Kitagawa Daiichi; he's been blessed with more athletic skill than most people and he decided to spend it all on volleyball and the progress he made since he entered junior high was outstanding.

However, all of it didn't come without a price to pay: long hours of practice, several injuries and lots of hard work were needed to get him on the level he's at at the moment.

And now, that first year brat's here, right in front of him, ready to take everything he worked so hard for at any time. He doesn't _look like_ he wants to, but Tooru knows too well he _does_; the hunger for progress and the top is going to make him do it, sooner or later.

Because Tobio is one of_ them_.

One of his _so_ hated prodigies. He hates them with all his might.

Tobio is going to reach him soon, Tooru knows, without even working half as much as he did for all those years... It psses him off to no end; because it's not fair.

Tooru shakes his head. _'Come on, calm down. He's just a first year; there's no way he'll overcome you so easily.'_ However, as high as he gets and as much as he tries to calm down his thoughts – his fear - the awareness of the almost certain situation is always there. And he knows he's just lying to himself. The boy he's watching is becoming stronger with every move he makes and he's coming for him, so fast, and he knows that, soon enough, he won't be able to run away anymore.

"He's capable of the basics of all positions, but, in the end, I bet he'll be a setter."

It makes him shiver. He feels a strong pain in his chest growing and anger is starting to get to him.

Why's the damn kid already getting so close? He doesn't want him anywhere near... Not with such an easy way. He can't let that happen.

_'That brat.'_

He doesn't want to let go of this, so he makes a decision: he would practice harder, push himself further. And get away from him. Get away from Kageyama Tobio.

His eyes never leave the boy, who's tossing for one of his teammates in the small match they organized to test the new entries' skills.

He's watching it. He's observing every little bit of it: the way the boy sends the ball to the spiker, the way it hits the floor on the other side of the net, giving the team a point... The smile on the young prodigy's lips and the spark of determination in his eyes...

Tooru despises all of it.

"Nice toss, Kageyama!"

"Keep it up!"

He feels something breaking inside of him. And he realizes that, no matter how much he'll try to get away from him later on, Tobio _is_ going catch him. And surpass him.

He shakes his head.

_'No.'_

He clenches his fists, his knuckles turning white and nails digging in his palms.

"Tsk."

_'I'm not going to let you. Not yet.'_

He turns his back to the field. _'Why am I even wasting my time with this?'_

"Something wrong?" he hears Hajime asking.

He tries his best to put on his best _fake _smile and just shakes his head once again. "No, Iwa-chan. Since the match's almost over, I'm going to warm up so I can get on with my practice."

"Don't be late."

"I won't."

He goes out for a run around the gym, deciding to take his time to warm up perfectly. By the time he returns inside, the match is already over and everyone has already returned to their regular practice. He takes in a deep breath before he grabs a ball and gets ready to practice on his jump serve. It's already a powerful move of his, but he needs to make it perfect. That is going to be his strongest weapon one day and it's going to be _his_ only.

He needs to get away. Further.

He jumps; his hand hits the ball, and it lands beautifully in the corner of the opposite side of the net. A smile appears on his face.

_'Just a bit more.'_

* * *

><p>As he practices, he doesn't even notice a pair of blue eyes staring at him.<p>

* * *

><p><strong>Author's notes:<strong> Hello everyone! Thank you for reading this chapter. This is going to be a multi-chaptered FF and I hope you'll keep following it till the end. I don't know how often I'll be able to update it, but I'd rather make you wait and make you read something good, instead of updating every day with a low-quality work. I hope you understand.

The rating will change as I upload the next chapters, because some might contain sexual scenes or harsh language. I'll try to keep the characters' personalities as similar to their original concept as I can, but it will be hard because of some scenes that are going to happen in the future. I'll try to change them as little as possible.


	2. Can It Possibly Get Worse?

**Won't Let You Reach**

* * *

><p>#2 – Can It Possibly Get Worse?<p>

* * *

><p>It's barely been a month since school started, but the volleyball practice is as rough as ever. The next tournament's on it's way and they need to be ready. Now that every first year has picked the role he wants to play, they are practicing hard to get it right and to integrate it with their seniors' play.<p>

Tobio chose to become a setter, as everyone expected from him.

"I'm glad we have him on our team. It's been only a couple of weeks since we started practicing seriously and he's gotten so much better. I believe he'll join the regulars very soon."

The coach's words aren't meant to be a secret, because everyone knows that, so he doesn't bother to keep his voice low while speaking to his colleague.

Tooru hears him.

And it irritates him to no end.

Today's been awful from the start. First, he didn't hear his cellphone ring and overslept; he got up late and, even though he skipped breakfast and dressed up as quick as he could, he still missed his train to school. He was forced to take the one after and got to school late, without even working on a lie to tell the teacher when he got in. He had no choice but to tell the truth and it got him a scold in front of the class and extra homework for the day after.

_'As if what we get usually isn't enough already.'_

Of course, the rushed routine isn't the only bad thing. Ever since he woke up and stood on his feet, he felt something wrong with his right knee: every time he leans on his leg for too long, it starts to hurt. It isn't a harsh pain, but it's more than enough to add more frustration to his already bad mood.

He decided to spend most of the day sitting in the classroom, waiting the beginning of his club activities to move from there, hoping it would help him up at least a little.

And finally, as he got into the gym and thought it couldn't get any worse, he heard those words coming out from the coach's mouth.

He's getting ready to try his jump serve one more time, wanting to add more force to it, but because of anger boiling inside of him, he ends up using too much of it and loses control over the ball's direction.

_'Dammit!'_

Instead of hitting the field on the other side of the net, it slams against the door behind it.

Tooru takes in a deep breath and shakes his head, trying to calm down, but everything just keeps going so wrong. 'The world's being cruel to me today.'

"What's wrong with you today?"

Tooru gasps and turns around, seeing Hajime approaching him slowly, a volleyball in his hand.

_'Oh. Great.'_

Now even he is here. Even though Hajime his best friend since they were kids, he's the last person he wants to approach him in this very moment. The only reason is that, for Hajime, he is an open book and there is no way he would ever be able to lie to him.

But he doesn't want to tell the truth either. _'What am I going to say anyway? That I hate that first year brat?'_

Maybe he could try to tell a lie. And get away from him.

He forces a smile, hoping it's going to be convincing enough for his spiker to believe him. He makes a mistake though, when he looks at the ball on the floor he threw a couple of minutes ago instead of looking him in the eyes. "Nothing's wrong, Iwa-chan! I was just trying to add more strength to my serve. Looks like I'll have to work on the control as well." He hopes his tone sounds cheerful enough, he muses.

When he raises his head to look at Hajime again, his smile fades and he freezes.

_'Shit.'_

Hajime is giving him the look.

And Tooru knows he's screwed. Even though he tried his best - no, he didin't; he could've done better - Hajime knows it's a lie. He didn't take seriously a single word of his. And once again, Tooru realizes he needs to get away, because otherwise, Hajime is going pull him out of the gym by force and make him talk. Whether he wants it or not.

"Iwaizumi! Come here for a second!" the coach suddenly yells.

Oikawa's eyes shine when he hears it. He has his perfect chance to escape now. He smiles again, relieved, and waves his hand. "Well then, Iwa-chan... The coach wants you, and I have to return to my practice. See ya later!"

"Wait!"

Before he can say anything else, Tooru is already on the other side of the gym, letting out a breath he didn't even know he was holding, before picking a ball up from the floor.

He's never been so happy because of an interruption before, because right now, the coach he was cursing less than ten minutes ago has saved him from a long and hard questioning which would've ended up with his certain death - be it from embarrassment or the punches he would've received from Hajime after he'd tell him the reason of his frustration.

When he turns around to get ready for another jump serve, the sight he finds in front of himself almost makes him lose his grip on the ball. His expression turn into a mix of surprise and shock and he could swear he feels his blood stop flowing in his veins.

Hajime's there, talking to the coach, but he isn't alone.

"Iwaizumi, please, work with Kageyama for a couple of weeks from now on. He decided to become a setter, as you already know, and, since you're our best wing spiker, you could give him some tips on how to toss the ball to you. I believe you're the best for the job."

Tooru can't believe his ears. Is he actually asking _Hajime_ to work _with Tobio_? He isn't the only spiker in this team, even though he _is_ the best. But that doesn't mean anything. Tobio is just a beginner, so why giving him Hajime so soon?

He tightens the grip on the ball, biting his bottom lip nervously. There's no way he's going say yes.

"Don't worry coach. I'll take care of him."

Tooru's eyes widen. Is that stupid brat going to have him so easily? Hajime is _his_ partner and _only_ his. And everyone knows that. So why is this happening?

'Why did he accept?'

This is it. This is officially the worst day he's ever had after their last loss against Shiratorizawa.

But he can't just lose it in front of everyone.

He doesn't know what to do, though. Hajime is already talking to Tobio on one of the benches, and he can't stop staring at them. It looks like he's explaining something to him. Probably the basics, or maybe he the way he wanted the toss from a setter, something that Tooru knows better than anyone even without them telling him.

For the first time in his life, he's jealous. And he doesn't like the feeling of it at all. He's glad they aren't looking towards him, because they would probably notice the way he's trying to kill the younger boy with his eyes.

He shakes his head.

He needs to focus on practice.

His serve still needs lots of work, and he has no time to lose. Not when Tobio is so close behind and has already started to collect what's his with each step he makes.

_'Come on, Tooru! Focus!'_ He keeps encouraging himself, until it actually works.

In fact, as he practices, he manages to slowly regain control of himself, even though the memory of the person he cares the most about and the one he hates with all his might is there, making him unable to give his absolute best. But he doesn't need it yet.

He keeps jumping, hitting the ball and landing without taking a moment to rest. The ache in his leg is there and if Tooru were a bit less focused, he'd be able to feel it increasing. But he doesn't have time for that. He needs to work more, because there's something he must do.

He agrees to one thing with himself.

_'Like hell I'm going to let him have Iwa-chan.'_

It seems, in the end, they _are_ going to talk.


	3. Frustration and Overwork

**Won't Let You Reach**

* * *

><p><strong>Warning: <strong>R-18, M/M (Oikawa/Iwaizumi)

* * *

><p>#3 - Frustration and Overwork<p>

* * *

><p>It's already late in the evening when the players return to their locker rooms and leave the gym and Tooru's the only one left. He say he'll take care of closing the gym once he's done, so the coach hands him the keys and goes home as well after recommending him not to overwork himself.<p>

He's been staying late for a couple of days already, practicing endlessly on his serve and returning home ad an ungodly hour which often ended in getting scolded by Hajime or, in some rarer cases, by his parents - when they actually were home and caught him coming in way past dinner time.

Today he's been practicing as hard as he could since he stopped staring at Hajime and Tobio and, to avoid the sight of them again, he decided it'd be better not to take any breaks. Even though the two player didn't give them too much attention since then, he knows they've been with each other for the rest of the practice, because the few times he found himself giving them a glance, they were together. At first they were just talking, but then they went to the field and Hajime made him practice his tosses. He even spiked a couple of them and, Tooru noticed, he looked quite satisfied with the results.

In the end, they left towards the locker rooms together.

And the sight left him chewing his lip nervously for a good amount of time.

He isn't used to not have his spiker around him for the whole afternoon like it always is, and the fact that he spent the practice with Tobio, isn't making it easier. What worries him though, is that the coach actually asked him to work with him for a couple of _weeks_ and not just a day or two.

_'So is it going to be like this for so long?' _he wonders as he jumps for the umpteenth time that day. He hits the ball but misses again. It's a bit better than before though: it doesn't hit too far away from the lines of the court, which means it's getting better.

As he lands on his feet, he feels another painful throb in his knee - this time strong enough for him to pretend not to feel anything - which makes him hiss and curse under his breath. _This_ is getting worse since this morning. And it's starting to feel more than uncomfortable and is becoming way hard to ignore.

"Fuck..."

He knows he's reaching his limit for the day, because his body's begging - screaming - for mercy and now that he's standing up straight, he feels pain spreading in his calve and thigh more and more with every second.

_'No... I can't stop now. Just one more.'_

He bends down again to grab another ball from the floor and then gets ready to throw it in the air and perform the next serve, but before he manages to move a muscle, he's interrupted.

"What the hell are you still doing here?!"

He winces at the sound of a too well known voice and the ball accidentally slips away from his hands and falls on the floor. He turns around and looks at the boy approaching him.

Hajime.

And from the look he's getting, Tooru knows he's angry.

It isn't the first time he's been caught in the gym so late. And it's always been by Hajime - _'How does he even know I'm still here?'_ - who never missed the opportunity to scold him because of his strenuous practice. And even when he promised him it was the last time every single time, he still kept breaking his words and continued to do what he wanted. But he doesn't care, because Iwa-chan doesn't hold grudges.

Something bothers him though.

_'No...' _he thinks as he observes Hajime's face more carefully._ 'He's not angry.'_

He's furious.

Tooru decides not to pick up the ball he was holding before and straightens up, making a step backwards. The sudden movement causes his knee to hurt even more now and it almost causes him to stumble backwards.

"Fuck!" he curses and looks at himself, begging his body to last just a little longer... Just the time to convince Hajime to go away and get back home without earning any more damage.

His eyes return on his childhood friend and he notices he has already grabbed a ball while he was distracted and is ready to shoot it in his head. He gulps and shakes his head. "No, wait... Iwa-ch- Ouch!"

Hajime spikes it right into his face, this time directly causing him to stumble backwards. He doesn't fall however; he manages to stay on his feet, but the resistance is even more painful than before.

He pushes the ball away from him and covers his cheek and nose with his hand before looking at Hajime, pouting. "Iwa-chan, that hurt!" He decides not to add anything else, because the boy in front of him doesn't look like in the mood for their typical quarrel. And he doesn't want to risk his life now, does he?

"Shut up, Assikawa!"

Tooru blinks. _'What's with that tone?'_ It isn't the usual one he uses with him all the time. This one sounds much harsher. And Tooru doesn't like it.

He was so sure about talking to him when he saw him coming back alone and now that he has the chance to, his determination is fading. He decides it isn't the right moment, because right now, he has to worry about getting out of such a situation – possibly unharmed - without putting an end to his practice, even though he's barely standing on his feet. He needs that last serve.

And yet he feels so weak.

"What's the matter with you today?"

Tooru curses mentally, a frown appearing on his face.

_'Of course.'_ It's always been like that. There is _always_ something wrong with _him_, in any situation. It's never the other way around. Never.

And he's aware of that.

The courage to talk is gone completely by now, and they are the only ones left in the gym so he can't hope for another save like before. Now he wishes he went home earlier.

"Everything's fine, Iwa-chan."

"Bullshit!"

A small, dejected, smile appears on his face. He curses himself for not having the strength to even try and sound convincing. The scenes from before is returning to his head and he suddenly feels even worse. Even though it'd be enough to clear it with Hajime right now, he just isn't able to.

"Iwa-chan..."

He looks down.

He hears Hajime grunting in front of him and he knows he crossed the line. He shuts his eyes, ready for a punch or something, but that's not what he gets.

"Why won't you tell me? What could possibly have happened to you to make you act like this?!" Hajime yells. He then glanced at Tooru's trembling leg and clenches his fists. "And why the hell are you practicing with your leg in that condition?! Do you seriously want to hurt yourself?!"

Hajime observes him, hoping for an answer. Even if it sounded stupid, it would still be something. And yet, Tooru isn't looking at him. His eyes are still low on the wooden floor and he's so uncharacteristically quiet.

But there's nothing he can say. He knows he's overworking himself and that he should have stopped days ago. He knows he's supposed to let his leg rest before it gets any worse, and yet he decided not to. It's because he can't allow himself to stop. Not now.

Otherwise, Tobio...

"Nothing's wrong, Iwa-chan." he mumbles once again.

This is it.

Hajime isn't going to tolerate this anymore. He grabs him by the collar of his shirt and pulls him to himself. "Listen to me, you stupid idiot! Do you think I didn't notice? Your short tempered behavior, your excessive practice... It's because of Kageyama, isn't it?!"

Tooru's eyes widen and finally, _finally_ he looks into Hajime's eyes, shocked.

And Hajime understands.

_'Jackpot.'_

He had his suspicion all along, but he was never sure of it. Tooru hasn't even exchanged a word with the first-year setter, nor has he talked to him about it, like he usually does. Now that he has his confirm and sees Tooru's expression, he realizes that the situation isn't so trivial after all. Not for Tooru at least.

Is he-?

He isn't just acting childish like he usually does... No, it's completely different, and Hajime knows. Because there's been only _one time_ he's seen him like this. And he remembers himself feeling the same way at the time.

The spiker slowly lets go of his shirt and sighs. He makes a few steps backwards and turns around. "Let's clean up."

"Yes."

They get to work. Hajime takes care of picking up the balls, while Tooru mops the floor. Once Hajime gets them all in the net, he takes them to the storage room and puts them into a corner. As he's adjusting them on the floor, he hears Tooru coming in behind him. He straightens up and turns to look at him. He's leaning the mop onto the wall silently and Hajime takes the opportunity to take a better look at him.

He's been like this for the last couple of days. And he isn't used to him being so... quiet. Not around himself at least, and Tooru is _always_ around him.

"You're frustrated."

Tooru looks at him dejectedly, though he still tries to curve his lips up in a smile. The attempt's a total failure.

And for Hajime it's too much.

Tooru turns around, ready to walk out of the room, but suddenly, Hajime grabs his arm and pulls him to himself. He watches brown eyes widen in surprise as he keeps reducing the distance, before he closes the final gap between them, meeting his lips with Tooru's. He feels the setter's body stiffen so he lets go of his arm and moves the hand on the back of his neck, making the other one land on his hip.

It's a simple, chaste kiss, and when he pulls away, he observes Tooru's surprised expression. He still feels him extremely tense underneath his touch and feels awkward about it as well, because he's never been the type to take initiative. And yet, there he is.

Before the setter has the time to say anything, Hajime kisses him again. This time it's deeper, and hotter and the spiker has to admit it's not that bad - taking the initiative. He takes his time, tasting him and enjoying the way his lips are so soft. He licks his bottom lip slowly, making him gasp and open his mouth, and immediately takes the opportunity to deepen the kiss even further, entering his mouth with his tongue.

He presses their bodies together, his hand now firm on the setter's lower back and hears Tooru letting out a moan in response. It doesn't take long for the setter to give in now.

Soon enough Tooru's sitting on a pile of mattresses placed next to the door, hands back for support, with Hajime sitting on his lap, straddling his hips and kissing him passionately.

When Hajime finally feels the lack of breath, he pulls away and looks at him with half-lidded eyes. "Iwa-chan... What-" Tooru whispers, but is silenced once more with another kiss. Hajime kisses his lips hungrily, before finally pulling away moving to his jaw.

He then lowers onto his neck, biting and sucking gently every now and then, and it makes Tooru throw his head back and gasp.

_'It's been so long.'_

This isn't the first time they're doing this. It all started since their loss against Shiratorizawa at the end of their second year of middle school. Tooru has been frustrated for about a month before Hajime went to him and forced him to vent. Things led to one another, and they ended up panting on Tooru's bed, covered in sweat and cum. They never really went _all the way_, but there was no need for it anyway. It isn't something they do regularly and the few times it happened it was because Tooru was in the mood and insisted on it until Hajime eventually gave up and lets him do whatever he wanted.

Of course, the quick hand jobs after practice didn't mean they were together. Tooru has been seeing a good number of girls in the mean time, even though he always got dumped in the end because of his ever growing obsession for volleyball, and Hajime actually dated a couple of girls himself. His relationships didn't end up well either, because apparently he is giving too much attention to his setter.

In the end, it didn't matter.

However, because of the start of the new school year and Tooru's frustration which turned into hours of extra practice, they never managed to find any time to spend together in any way during this last month.

_'I sure missed it.' _Tooru thinks as he feels his shirt being raised up, so he straightens up, raises his arms and lets Hajime remove it. He watches it being thrown away not too far from them and then moves his eyes on him and observes him standing up from his lap and spreading his legs with his hands, only to kneel down between them.

He licks his lips, putting his hands on Hajime's shoulders, and is about to lean forward towards him, but is pushed back soon enough and held in place before he can decide what to do.

Hajime is looking at him with a serious expression, which has nothing of his usual face: he isn't irritated or mad like he was all those times he caught him in the gym; it's much softer and Tooru could swear he sees a faint blush on his tanned cheeks thanks to the light coming from the gym.

"How rare..." he mutters, smirking and then relaxing, as he leans against the wall satisfied. His Iwa-chan is going to do all the work this time and he has to admit he's been looking forward to something like that.

"Shut up."

When he's finally adjusted the way he wants him to be, Hajime gets back to where he stopped before and places open-mouthed kisses on Tooru's neck and collarbone, leaving a trail of saliva and red marks on his skin. As he keeps getting lower, he looks up every now and then and the sight in front of him, he has to admit, is amazing.

The way Tooru's looking at him, eyes half-lidded and light gasps escaping his mouth while the spiker's hands slide down his hips to his thighs and stop there... It's making him go crazy.

Hajime feels his erection growing in his pants but decides to ignore it, because this moment isn't about him. It's about Tooru. He's the one who needs release more than him and he knows this surely isn't the last time they are going to do it, so he can afford to neglect his needs this once and fully concentrate on his needy friend.

He keeps kissing him, mouth running over his abs, while his hand reaches in front of him to palm his manhood through his shorts. He caresses it slowly but firmly, hearing the setter moan loudly and throw his head back. Hajime his hands clenching into fists as he grows impatient because of the constant teasing.

"Iwa-chan..."

The pleading tone coming from his mouth is enough for Hajime to lose it completely. He pulls away from his chest and grabs the setter's shorts and briefs, pulling them down at once to his ankles. He makes him raise his legs a little to pull them off, careful not to put any pressure on his knee, and throws them where his previously discarded shirt's lying.

Tooru shivers at the action, his cock standing out right in front of Hajime's mouth. The raven slides his hand up his thigh, caressing it gently, before grabbing firmly the base of his cock. He hears Tooru moan in approval and takes it as an invitation to give him a few strokes. Then, encouraged by the pleasured sounds Tooru lets out, he approaches it and gives a gentle lick over the slit.

It's indeed been a while since he's done that.

Hajime pulls away for a moment, lickinghis lips to wet them before taking the head of his cock in his mouth and sucking on it in a way that has Tooru's hands curling into fists, eyes shut tightly, as he resistes the urge to just let himself go, grab Hajime's head and thrust in his mouth. He moans louder and the sound seems to spur Hajime on: he takes it in deeper, as much as he can, before he feels he's going to choke if he keeps it that way and pulls back for a moment, coughing.

The lack of warmth around his member makes Tooru open his eyes and look down once again. "Take it easy, Iwa-chan." he whispers huskily.

As soon as Hajime catches his breath again, he gets back to where he stopped before. He adjustes himself quickly, remembering his limits and as well the actions that usually get the most positive reactions from Tooru. With that on his mind, he returns to work on his task, the eager slurping sounds of the blow job are more than enough to leave the brunette above him moaning even louder and rolling his hips slightly in rhythm with the other's movements.

"F-faster."

The spiker complies immediately and increases the rhythm, tongue moving faster against Tooru's shaft, the hand on the base accompanying his movements now, covering the parts his mouth isn't over. Suddenly he feels Tooru's hand moving in his hair, massaging his scalp gently and accompanying his movements. "I-Iwa... Ah!"

Hajime knows what he meant and moved even faster, his movements becoming erratic, making the whole thing sloppier. Tooru feels the familiar sensation in his stomach growing and knows immediately he's close to his desired release.

"I-Iwa-chan... Please... I..."

Hajime's grip tightens around him and the noises coming from Tooru become impossibly louder, his muscles tensing as he feels himself reaching his peek. He moans some incoherent words, gripping Hajime's hair tighter, the other hand clawing the mattress underneath him.

Suddenly, he opens his eyes wide, letting out one last, pleasured moan, as he throws his head back, his body stiffening slightly as semen comes out of his cock and into Hajime's mouth. Feeling the hot cum filling him, Hajime moans as well, his cock twitching painfully in his pants. He doesn't care... He can take care of it later.

He looks up.

Tooru's sitting limp on the mattress, eyes now closed again, chest moving up and down because of his heavy breathing, with his back leaned against the wall. He looks extremely tired but, Hajime notices, there's a small smile on his face and his whole expression is softer than before. He doesn't know if it's because he's feeling better or if he's just putting an act – even though it's hard to put an act in these conditions, he thinks.

He lets the thought go; he'll find out later on anyway.

Right now, he wants to keep him like this. He swallows every single drop of semen in his mouth and then licks his lips clean before pulling away from the and slowly standing up. He takes in deep breaths, trying to calm down and take away his attention from his arousal.

He turns around and walks to where Tooru's clothes were thrown after he stripped him and picks them up carefully. When he gathers everything, he puts them next to his friend's still shaking body.

"Iwa-chan..."

He turns his head to face him, dark gray eyes meeting brown, and he doesn't need to look down to notice his hand's being taken and caressed by the setter's calloused fingers. He lets him do it.

With the other hand, Tooru pulls him down by the collar of his shirt, so they are now sitting next to each other and then reaches him to give him a peck on the lips before leaning his head onto his shoulder.

Even though he has no more strength in his body, he still manages to mumble something before sighing and closing his eyes, burying his face in the crook of the spiker's neck.

"Ne, Iwa-chan... Can I stay at your place tonight?"

Hajime's hand buries itself in the soft brown hair tickling his skin. He knows he doesn't need to say anything, because they both know he'll approve it anyway, because he always does. And he always would. No words were ever needed between them; their actions have always spoken for them.

This time, however, he says a 'yes' out loud. Just to reassure him.

"Get dressed and let's go then. It's getting late."


	4. Watch Your Words

**Won't Let You Reach**

* * *

><p>#4 – Watch Your Words<p>

* * *

><p>The walk to Hajime's house takes more than it should now that Tooru's body has finally cooled down. The pain in his leg is making him completely unable to put weight on it.<p>

Except for the last few minutes, during practice it wasn't that bad, since he was so focused on his serves he completely forgot about his well-being and easily ignored his aching leg. Later on, he once again overlooked it for obvious reasons when he was in the storage room, while Hajime was giving him one of the best blowjobs he's ever received. And after he cooled down and dressed up, he barely managed to take two steps before his leg gave out on him and almost made him collapse on the spot, making him regret almost every action he forced onto himself in the past month.

Hajime knew that and, even though he was glad the idiot has finally realized what overworking could do to his body, he was still worried for him and ended up offering himself for support, sliding his arm over Tooru's waist and making him throw his one around his shoulders.

While it usually takes them about twenty minutes to get to Hajime's house, this time it takes them almost the double.

When they finally get in front of his door, Tooru lets go of him and leans against the wall, letting the other boy dig in his bag and pull out the keys when he finds them. He fumbles them for a moment before finding the right one and opening up.

"Sorry for the disturb!" Tooru says out loud.

"There's no one home, dumbass."

Tooru turns to look at him with his usual childish expression. "Eh? How was I supposed to know, Iwa-chan?" he whines - a little too loud for Hajime's taste but then again, when was it that Tooru was able to keep it down? - and waves his arms. Hajime grunts. "I told you at least three times the other day."

"But you know I don't listen!"

"What did you say?!" Hajime glares at him.

"Nothing. I must have forgotten. Sorry, Iwa-chan."

Hajim sighs and takes off his shoes before walking into the living room, throwing his bag on the couch and then turning to look at Tooru, who's placing his shoes down next to his. "If you want you can have a bath while I order a pizza. I'll go in after dinner."

Tooru's eyes sparkle at his words. A nice bath is exactly what he needs after a day like this. "Okay, Iwa-chan! I still have some spare clothes here, right?"

Hajime rolls his eyes, annoyed. "You _know_ you do. As if you're ever going to take them away unless I throw them out along with you." he says. "There should already be some clean towels in the bathroom, so you can go."

Tooru grins. "Oh, Iwa-chan! Were you expecting me to come here before I even asked?"

A vein pops up on Hajime's forehead and the glare he's giving to the setter is getting deadlier by the second. Tooru knows it can become dangerous if he keeps it up so he just smiles innocently and waves his hand. "Well then, I'll be going in now. Can you bring me a change of clothes, Iwa-chan?"

As he finishes talking, he turns around before waiting for a reply, ready to walk to the stairs to head towards the bathroom, but as soon as he puts his weight on his injured leg, he finds himself cursing loudly, a wave of pain spreading all over his muscles. His hand clutches his pants tightly as he grits his teeth. Hajime's next to him the second after, supporting him so he doesn't fall.

"Will you manage to do it on your own?"

Tooru stays motionless and silent for a good minute before looking at Hajime. He considers denying for a split moment, but he discards the idea as soon as his muscle tenses involuntarily and has him seeing stars. His lips curve up in a strained smile as he tries not to show it too much. "I think I may need a hand."

He doesn't need to say anything else, because Hajime has already adjusted them in the same position they were in when they were walking home and is heading forward. He makes sure he avoids putting too much pressure on Tooru after what he saw - because he _saw_- so he leans him against himself as much as possible and takes his time.

They climb the stairs carefully, one by one, without saying a word. When they finally make it on the upper floor, Hajime brings him to the bathroom and then lets go of him. He walks towards the bath tub and turns on the water, being careful to adjust it to the right temperature. He then looks around for the towels, which are settled on a small chair next to the sink. He lifts up the whole thing and puts it where it makes them easier to reach.

He turns around and notices Tooru has already taken off his shirt and is working his way on his pants. When he pushes them down his legs and they get to his ankles, he carefully steps out of them. When he looks back up in front of him, he finds Hajime's eyes fixed on him.

He smirks.

"Like what you see, Iwa-chan?"

As soon as he says those words, Hajime groans and rolls his eyes, though there _is_ a small blush on his face. "Don't be ridiculous, you idiot." With that, he walks to the door and opens it. "Can you continue on your own from here?" he asks. He doesn't want to leave without making sure Tooru can take it on his own from now on.

"What kind of question is that? Are you my mo-"

"Oikawa."

Tooru stops immediately and nods. "Don't worry."

He watches as Hajime gets out and closes the door behind him and he has to admit he feels a bit disappointed. It would've been nice if the spiker had stayed and joined him in his bath. Maybe they could've continued from where they left off before. It's been a while since Tooru started craving for more, but it's not his intention to insist. He'll make Iwa-chan come and ask for it.

Aware that it's not going to happen right now, he sighs and turns towards the tub. Then he takes off his underwear as well and then limps to it, trying to make contact between the floor and his right leg as light as he can allow himself. Stepping into the tub is harder than he thought it would be, but with a little effort, he manages to sit into it without screaming in pain or cursing.

When the tub is full, he closes the tap and leans back. As soon as he adjusts himself in the most comfortable position, he sighs. closing his eyes: this is just what he needed. He feels his muscles relax completely in the water and soon notices the pain isn't as strong as it was when he was standing. This is a sign for him to let it rest, and he's well aware of it. At least for a couple of days.

But if he does that and skips practice, then...

Suddenly the door opens and his eyes snap open.

"I'll leave your clothes here." Hajime says as he walks in and puts them next to the sink. He then looks at Tooru, who has his eyes still fixed on him, and continues: "The pizza should be here in twenty minutes, so don't stay in for too long."

Tooru nods and watches him as he steps out, closing the door and leaving him alone once again. He smiles slightly and then proceeds to wash himself. He decides to take his time, because twenty minutes are more than enough to do it. When he's done, he touches his knee and tries to put pressure on some places around it to see where it hurts the most, but, at the moment, it hurts everywhere. He decides to try again later on or tomorrow.

He takes in a deep breath before standing up. He steps out of the tub carefully, grabbing a towel to wipe his body dry with it and then he rubs the other one in his wet hair and then hangs it around his neck. The ache in his leg is back, as expected so he leans on it only when truly necessary.

_'I really screwed this up.'_

He reaches for his underwear first and puts it on. Then he gets back to the tub and makes the water flow away, leaning then over it to open the window above.

He then returns to his clothes again and first puts on the pair of gray sweatpants and then the large black T-shirt. He wipes his hair with the towel once more and then hangs it on the small drying rack he remembers Hajime always told him to use.

He then makes sure he hasn't made a mess when he was coming out of the water and, fortunately, he didn't.

Deciding he was done with the bathroom, he walks to the door and, as soon as he opens it, the doorbell rings.

"Coming!" he hears Hajime yell as he runs to the door with his wallet in his hands.

_'Looks like I made it in time.'_

Tooru makes his way to the stairs, and decides not to ask for help to get down. He really doesn't want to bother Hajime too much, because he can do it on his own. He just has to avoid too much contact beween his right leg and the floor and it'll be fine. '_It can't possibly be that hard now, can it?'_ It takes him some time to figure out the best way to move but soon he finds it and gets down without too many problems.

"Thank you very much! Good evening!"

"Bye!" Hajime answers and closes the door. He turns around and finds Tooru behind him, which almost makes him drop the two pizza boxes in his hands. "What the hell are you doing here?" he asks irritated.

Tooru raises an eyebrow, a confused expression on his face. "What do you mean, Iwa-chan? You told me the pizza would be here in twenty minutes so I washed myself up and got out in time."

Hajime glares at him. "I know what I said, you idiot. How did you even get down when yo-"

Tooru smiles and and makes thumbs up. "Don't worry, Iwa-chan! I found a way!"

"What if you-"

"Come on, Iwa-chan!" Tooru interrupts him; he keeps smiling as he reaches out to him and grabs the two boxes from his hands. "Let's go to eat, or it will cool down! You know I don't like cold food!" Without giving Hajime the time to reply, he walks towards the living room, trying not to make his limping too evident. When he gets there, he notices the small table next to the couch has been set for the food. He sits on the floor, so his back is leaned on the couch behind and puts the boxes on it. He takes a napkin and puts it next to himself and then grabs the first box and puts it in his lap.

Hajime follows him and sits next to him.

He glances at Tooru and notices his eyes are already fixed on the TV. There's nothing interesting on, just a movie that started a little after Tooru had left for his bath and he's aware Tooru isn't interested at all in it, even if he pretends to be. He knows why the he's acting this way; he knows he's trying his best to avoid any conversation about the current situation, but he's not going to let him do that for too long.

Not when his health is on the line.

Tooru is eating already, and Hajime takes a first slice for himself as well.

They eat in silence for a while, until the spiker can't take it anymore. He puts the box on the table, some pizza still left in it, and turns to look at Tooru. "Oh, God... Just stop it."

Hazel eyes widen slightly. _'Going at it already, Iwa-chan?'_ He tilts his head to the side as he swallows what he still has in his mouth. "What do you mean, Iwa-chan?"

"Don't you 'what do you mean' me! You know what I mean."

"Of course I know, Iwa-chan. But do we really have to talk about it now?"

Hajime's expression is enough for him to know the answer and Tooru knows he can't escape from the questioning that's about to come.

"Why were you at the gym so late when your leg is like this?!" he asks, and this time he's not going to let go until he gets it all out of him. As expected, Tooru doesn't reply. He takes another slice from his box and eats it slowly, chewing more than necessary just to gain some time to think.

He knows he screwed up and because of his behaviour his body is suffering _and_ Hajime is mad. He doesn't want to talk about it, because there's nothing new to say. Nothing that would please his Iwa-chan.

Sick of the lack of answers, Hajime slams his fist on the table, making the two glasses on it tremble slightly and Tooru drops what he holds in his hand immediately. He sighs and lays the box on the couch behind him. "What do you want me to say?"

It makes Hajime snap. He shifts on his place, so he's now on his knees, facing the setter. "What do _I _want you to say? What the hell is wrong with you? If it's about Kageyama, you really shouldn't-"

Tooru clenches his fists. "Kageyama has nothing to do with this."

"Bullshit!"

Hajime stands up and grabs Tooru's shirt, pulling him up along. "Don't you even dare, Oikawa." His tone is menacing, because now it's not the time to joke. And it pisses him of, because he's really not in the mood for this. "I'm not daring anything, Iwa-chan." he mumbles.

"You're an open book to me. Did I think I wouldn't notice your behavior? You stay late in the gym to practice over and over and, ever since that first year joined the club, you are always irritated and touchy. And the way you try to kill Kageyama with your gaze only every time he walks in front of you..."

"Shut up, Iwa-chan!" Tooru hisses. He's not going to take any more of this. He grips tightly the hand Hajime's holding him with and narrows his eyes. "You wouldn't understand anyway, so let's stop it here."

That is _not_ the answer Hajime's looking for.

"I wouldn't understand?! What the hell is up between you two?! You never even talked to him!"

"I don't need to talk to him to-"

"To what, Oikawa?!"

"-TO KNOW HE'S GOING TO TAKE MY PLACE!" Tooru shouts and with a struggle he manages to break free from the spiker's grip, which causes him to stumble backwards, the pain throbbing in his knee as he tries in vain to keep his balance only to fail miserably. He falls down, cursing, and then throws a punch to the floor next to him.

Hajime stares down at him, stunned. He doesn't know what to say: he knows Tooru is holding a grudge towards Tobio - becausehe _always_ holds grudges - but he'd never think it's this bad already, especially since the two never even exchanged a word, be it during practice or outside the gym. "Hey, that's not-"

"Don't you even try telling me it's not true, Iwa-chan. Of course you aren't worried about that. After all, you'll always get to play because either way you'll have a setter who'll constantly toss to you. If I, however, don't get better, I'll end up on the sidelines. So don't you even dare to talk to me like you know it all." His voice is shattered and Hajime stays silent for a while, taken aback by such a direct answer.

Tooru is a mess.

And he doesn't know what to do to put him back together.

The fact that Tooru thinks he can be replaced so easily is completely foolish, and yet, he's so convinced about it it's driving him crazy. Hajime clenches his fists and shakes his head. "Listen, I don't really know what's going on in that head of yours, but trust me, no one is going to replace you anytime soon. Let along with a first year."

Tooru looks up at him dejectedly. "You can't know that, Iwa-chan."

"But it's not worth hurting yourself because of something like this!"

Tooru grits his teeth. "I'm fine!"

"No. You're. Not!"

"WHY DO YOU EVEN CARE?!"

And in this precise moment, Tooru feels like punching himself for screaming those words on top of his lungs, because he _knows_ Hajime cares and, of all the things he could've said to him, asking him _why_ after so many years they've spent together is the worst thing he could've possibly chosen to let out of his mouth.

He stops breathing and for the first time in his life, his eyes see an expression he never wished to see and hoped he'd never get to. Hajime's eyes are staring at him in shock, his mouth open as if he was about to say something before his sentence threw him completely off. His arms fall limp on the sides of his body and everything he was going to say stays in.

Tooru doesn't know how to reply to that sight, because a simple I'm sorry isn't going to be enough, because it'll never take back those words.

After a minute of silence, which was probably needed for Hajime to fully understand what was just said to him. "_Why_ do _I_ care?" he finally mumbles, more to himself than to Tooru. He's not shouting or raising his voice in any way. And that's what freaks Tooru out. He wishes he were screaming every kind of insult at him, or maybe punching him, because that'd be a lot easier to face since he'd be able to tell what's on his mind.

But when he's like this...

"You know what..." Hajime starts and Tooru doesn't move. "I'm done with all of this crap." He takes a couple of steps backwards. "If you want to keep this up and break your leg, then do it. I'm done being your baby sitter." He speaks slowly and as he listens, Tooru wishes he weren't saying these words.

"Iwa-chan, I..."

"Fuck you."

With that, Hajime walks upstairs and gets into the bathroom, closing and locking the door behind him.

Tooru finally lets out the air he's been holding in his lungs and as soon as he does, panic starts to take over him. _'What have I done?'_ He tries to stand up slowly and immediately regrets it, because the ache is once more taking over his muscles. And he isn't sure if it's only that, because he feels weak everywhere; his leg, his arms, his _chest_...

His whole body starts to tremble.

_'What have I done? What have I done?'_

The question keeps repeating itself in his mind and the realization that his childish behavior is going to have extreme consequences on the relationship between himself and Hajime is making his head spin. He forces himself to stand on his feet and then staggers to the stairs.

He needs to fix this.

He goes up without thinking too much, hissing with every stair he climbs. He doesn't care about the pain... It can wait. He needs to get to that door but it seems so difficult to reach. He leans on the wall halfway through and looks down. _'Please, don't give up on me now.'_ He takes in deep breaths to calm down and then continues.

It takes him a good amount of time to get to the last stair, but he couldn't have done it faster in his condition. He finally finds himself in front of the bathroom door and when he reaches it, his leg gives out once again and he ends up gripping on it to stay up. His breathing is shallow and he takes himself a minute to put himself together.

Then he knocks.

"Iwa-chan..."

No answer.

He tries again, this time a little louder. "Iwa-chan." He doesn't get any word in return, because he knows that Hajime doesn't want to have anything to do with him, but he just can't bring himself to leave. He is not going anywhere before they talk about it, hopefully without fighting or going straight into sex without clearing anything like earlier.

Since no answer is given this time either, Tooru decides to wait for him in the bedroom. Hajime's not going to stay in there forever and, thanks to his leg, he's not going to leave before tomorrow, which means he's got time.

He only needs to be patient and in the meanwhile, he's going to think about what to say to him.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's notes:<strong> Hello everyone! Thank you for reading this FF so far! I hope you're enjoying it. If there are any questions about anything there is in here, feel free to ask. Also, don't forget to review! It'd be really nice to hear out your thoughts about my works. I always accept critiques that can help me get better.

Anyway, I feel so bad for making Iwa-chan and Oikawa fight, but it's not going to stay like this for long, so don't hate me! Tobio is also going to have a better appearance within the next couple of chapters, so if you're wondering why he still isn't here, don't worry! He's going to have his shot very soon.

Till the next update!


	5. Let's Go Back To The Start

**Won't Let You Reach**

* * *

><p>#5 – Let's Go Back To The Start<p>

* * *

><p>Hajime doesn't know for how long he's been sitting in the bathtub. What he knows, though, is that the water is getting cold and the once pleasurable feeling on his skin is turning into an uncomfortable one.<p>

_'WHY DO YOU EVEN CARE?!'_

He can't stop thinking about those words. This whole situation is driving him nuts and he doesn't know what to do about it. He was taken by surprise and when he realized what actually happened, he felt a dull ache in his chest. Right now, he's so, _so_ angry at Tooru; how could he even ask that damn question after everything they've been through together?

Hajime knows why Tooru has been acting this way. All the pressure on him must be hard to bear, but he has nothing to do with that. He's aware that Tooru losing it was most likely to occur in his presence, since they spend _lots_ of time together, but he still wishes it happened with someone else. Those words wouldn't hurt as much if it were someone else to receive them.

Suddenly, he stands up and gets out of the water. He decides it's better to go out; after all, he doesn't want to get sick because of something so stupid. He dries himself quickly and dresses up with the clothes he prepared for himself this morning before he left to school.

When he's done, he turns to look at the door. He doesn't know if it's a good idea to go out there, but, he muses, it's his own damn house, so he can do whatever he wants. And yet, he still doesn't feel like it. Tooru is most likely still here, since it's impossible he left to his own house with his leg in those conditions, which would mean they'll have to face each other. And it kind of scares him.

For all he knows, they could get into another fight, or ignore each other until God knows when... And the fact that he doesn't know which of the options will happen makes it so that he can't prepare himself for it properly. And it could end like before, something he absoludely does not want to repeat. He's sorry for the way he reacted and by Tooru's expression after he yelled at him, he believes the setter didn't mean to come out with those words either.

But, right now, he isn't so sure about it. They may have been friends since they were kids, but there are moments when he still can't sees through him.

_'Enough with the suppositions...' _He shakes his head and slaps his cheeks slightly with his hands.

He needs to get out and check the situation. He finally opens the door and looks around. There's no noise coming from any of the rooms, so he goes downstairs, figuring Tooru should still be there since he isn't in the condition to move, but when he gets into the living room, he finds it empty. It's exactly like it was when he left it, with the two pizza boxes on the couch, Tooru's unused napkin on the floor and empty glasses on the small coffee table. The TV is still on as well and he notices the movie that was on during dinner had already ended and another one has already begun.

He decides to check the kitchen, but still nothing.

_'Where the hell is that idiot?'_

He checks the hall once more and then the small toilet at the end of it. Still nothing.

_'Don't tell me he-'_

He turns around and looks at the entrance and as soon as he focuses on it, he sighs in relief: Tooru's shoes are still where he left them, next to his own.

And then it hits him.

He remembers he heard him knock on the door of the bathroom some minutes after he got in.

He runs upstairs and heads to his room, because that's the only place left where he could be. He finds the door closed, and stops in front of it for a moment, hesitant to open it. It doesn't take him long to get his courage back though, because he knows he _has_ to go in sooner or later. He takes in a deep breath, grabs the handle and opens it. When he steps in, his eyes widen.

Tooru is lying on the futon he had set for him after they got home, but the way he looks is all but peaceful: he's curled up on his side so his back is facing the door, his breathing is heavy and erratic and he's trying his best to keep it down by covering his mouth with his hand. His other one is gripping tightly his trembling leg, as if trying in vain to tear away the ache.

Tooru doesn't seem to notice Hajime's presence, because he doesn't react in any way when he steps in to check on him closer. Hajime doesn't say anything to get his attention and just turns around and walks back out of the room.

He now hates himself for reacting like that and leaving him alone, because he should've known that he'd go upstairs on his own to try to stop him without thinking, and would end up hurting himself even more. _'So much about _him_ being the only idiot.'_

He goes into the bathroom and pulls a box of painkillers out of one of the cupboards next to the sink. Then he goes downstairs and heads to the kitchen, where he grabs a glass, filling it with cold water and then reaches the freezer and takes out a bag of ice. He puts everything on a tray and then returns to his room.

He notices Tooru hasn't moved in the meanwhile, so he approaches the futon, lays the tray on the floor and then sits down beside him. He's hesitant at first, but then he finally leans closer to him, putting one hand on his hip and the other one in his hair, caressing him gently.

Tooru turns around quickly, eyes widening when he sees Hajime behind him. He stays like that until he's sure he's not seeing things and then he sits up slowly and when he adjusts himself, he finds a glass being handed to him. Hazel eyes meet black for a moment and then he looks back down, realizing he's holding a pill as well.

"Take it. At least you'll be able to sleep."

Tooru obeys immediately. He takes the percocet and shoves it into his mouth; then he grabs the glass and drinks until it's empty. He hopes the painkiller will have its effect immediately as he puts the glass back on the tray. Suddenly, he feels something freezing on his knee and gasps. He sees Hajime placing an ice bag on it and, before he manages to ask anything, Hajime speaks. "Keep it on until the pill starts working."

"Thank you."

They stay like that for a long moment, without saying a word.

"I'm sorry about before. I shouldn't have reacted like that." Hajime is the first one to talk, and Tooru looks at him. He doesn't like this serious atmosphere between them... It's so tense and hard to keep up with. He's not used to be around his Iwa-chan this way.

He grins. "You really should be, Iwa-chan! You-" He stops as soon as he sees Hajime's expression: he's dead serious and truly sorry for his previous actions, even though he hasn't done anything wrong. And Tooru feels bad about it, because he's the one who has to apologize. His grin turns into a bitter smile, and he looks down at the hand that's still holding the ice on his leg.

"I'm sorry too. I... I shouldn't have said that." His voice is shattered, but he just can't keep it steady in a moment like this. He almost lost his best friend because of his stubbornness and he just wants to go back to the way it's always been.

He reaches out and puts his hand on top of Hajime's and is glad when he doesn't move it away. "I didn't mean it. I was really irritated because of the shitty day I've had and I didn't think. I... I really didn't mean to come out with that, so please don't be mad at me... Please." Tooru hopes he'll accept, but there's no answer coming out from him and it worries him to no end.

Just when he's about to lose hope, Hajime nods. "Don't worry about it. It's okay." And Tooru is relieved. He sighs and, this time, truly smiles.

"Thank you, Iwa-chan."

The painkiller is slowly starting to have the desired effect and soon enough, Tooru's leg stops trembling and he figures he can finally relax and maybe get some quality rest. He watches up at the clock and realizes it's already some time past eleven and they have school tomorrow.

He's not really sure of how he'll be able to get there, but he'll think about it in the morning.

Hajime seems to notice he's staring up, so he glances at the clock as well and clicks with his tongue. "Looks like we should go to sleep. Are you still hungry?" he asks as he faces him again; after all they haven't even finished eating their dinner.

Tooru thinks about it for a while. Now that he's focused on it, he really _is_ hungry, but if they don't go to sleep now, like hell they'll be able to get up tomorrow. Hajime notices his expression and supposes immediately what his concern might be. He sighs and then moves away the ice from his knee, laying it back on the tray next to him.

"We won't go to school tomorrow. So if you're hungry, I'll bring the pizza up here."

Tooru flinchs, confused. "_We_ won't go to school? I'm the one with the screwed leg... You don't have to skip lessons because of me." Hajime shakes his head. "Don't worry about it. I can't let you stay here on your own. Being the idiot you are, you'd probably fall down the stairs and die. And then your parents would kill me as well."

Tooru pouts. "That's a mean thing to say, Iwa-chan."

"But it's true. I'll take these away then. I'll be right back."

With that, he gathers everything he has brought with himself and stands up. He walks out and hurries his way to the kitchen.

He puts the ice back into the freezer and then puts the painkillers next to the sink. He then goes to the living room and grabs the two pizza boxes and the two empty glasses. He takes the slices and puts them in two separate plates and then puts them one by one in the microwave to warm them up. He then pours the orange juice into them.

When they're warm enough, he lays the plates back onto the tray and returns upstairs where Tooru is waiting for him. He returns to the same spot he was sitting on before and puts the tray on the floor. Tooru immediately grabs his plate, putting it in his lap and taking a bite of a slice. He's surprised to notice it's warm.

"You remembered to warm it up."

"You don't like cold food." Hajime answers after he swallows.

"You really know me well, don't you?"

"You said it before, you idiot. I actually listen to what you say."

Tooru pouts, but he can't help to be glad. "That's mean."

"It's the truth."

They finish eating rather quickly, and Hajime takes the tray to his table. He doesn't really want to return downstairs for the umpteenth time. He'll take it away in the morning. He switches the light off and then gets back down. He crawls to his futon and then lays down on it, grabbing the covers and pulling them over himself.

Tooru does the same.

He turns his head to look at Hajime and notices his back is turned towards him. _'He must be tired.'_ he thinks, but it should be obvious after such a day. He doesn't say anything, but he feels as if something were still missing. He thinks of what it could be and then he finally gets it.

He licks his lips, sits up and moves to the other futon where Hajime's lying. He puts his hand on his shoulder and turns him around.

"Hey, what are you-"

And Tooru kisses him.

It's a gentle kiss and Hajime finds himself melting into it. He raises his arm and wraps it around Tooru's neck, burying his hand in his soft brown locks. Tooru takes the move as an invitation to go further and licks his bottom lip, making him gasp. His tongue slides in his mouth and Hajime accepts it, moving his own with it and deepening the kiss.

They pull away a minute later, breathless, and Tooru takes his time to enjoy the sight underneath him and for a moment thinks about how he almost lost all of this and the thought of ithat happening is just...

He kisses him again, because he needs it so badly. And he takes his time to enjoy it; he moves his hands over his body as if wanting to make sure he's really there. And Hajime welcomes him in, letting out a moan when he feels Tooru's hand caressing his neck and smiling into the kiss and can't but do the same as he feels his body being pulled closer to the setter's.

They don't go further though. None of them wants to mess up the moment, though none of them would refuse if the other asked for more. They decide it'll be better if they just stay like this. It feels warmer. As they kiss, Hajime shifts and moves back, making space for Tooru on his futon. Then, he pulls away and lies back down.

Tooru turns around and grabs his pillow as well, laying it next to the one that's already there and then gives a light peck on Hajime's lips before making himself comfortable as well. He looks at his best friend one more time and can't help but smile.

Because he's right where he wants to be.

He gets a bit closer to Hajime and finally closes his eyes. He feels Hajime's hand on his arm and sighs in relief. He's so tired that he can't even keep his eyes open. "Good night, Iwa-chan." he mumbles quietly as he slowly dozes off.

"Good night."

Hajime doesn't let go of him for the rest of the night.

* * *

><p><strong>Authour's notes: <strong>Well, this was a real fast update. The main reason is the fact that I'm home with a flu and since I'm forced to stay in bed, I decided I could at least do something useful.

In this chapter I only wanted to focus on Tooru and Iwa-chan's getting back to being friends, because Tooru can't live without Iwa-chan and Iwa-chan can't afford himself to leave Tooru alone, especially when he's hurt.

I hope they seem in character enough, because that's the way I see them acting if something like that actually happened in the manga (except fot the kissing scene, of course). Iwa-chan would probably be mad at him because he's so incredibly reckless about volleyball and Tooru would be... Tooru. He'd give anything to get Iwa-chan back if he were to lose him.

Anyway... Thank you very much for reading this chapter. Please leave a review. And see ya on the next update.


	6. Oh, Shit

**Won't Let You Reach**

* * *

><p>#6 – Oh. Shit.<p>

* * *

><p>It's been a week since Tooru hurt himself.<p>

The doctor ordered him to sit out of practice for at least two weeks and then come back in for a control. He's been given a knee supporter and was told he should wear it every time he practices – and even when he doesn't; because the more it's on, the better it is. He was told it should be able to help his leg up and lessen the pressure. Of course, rest is absolutely necessary and any kind of strain - volleyball - is strictly forbidden.

His parents didn't say much about it. They know far too well the way Tooru is, but that doesn't mean they are going allow him to disobey to the orders - because yes, he's capable of doing so – and make sure he's under control for the time he needs to heal.

They ask Hajime to take care of it.

After all, he's the _only one_ who Tooru listens to, no matter if he wants to or not, because Hajime _makes_ him.

And even this time, Hajime does his job well.

Far too well.

Tooru sighs as he watches the small match between his teammates in which he's, of course, not allowed to play. He is also forbidden to leave, because they - Hajime - want to make sure he wander off somewhere he isn't going to be seen and practice on his own. _''Stupid_ _Iwa-chan...'_ He hasn't tried his serve or any of his tosses for seven _fucking _days and by now he's just craving for it so badly. He's more than aware that going to the field will make it painful not only for his knee, but for his whole leg, so, at least for now, he has no choice but to do his best to repress his needs.

He sighs again; at least he's allowed to stay in the gym to _watch_. And at the moment if it's some kind of priviledge or just a cruel torture.

He decides it's both.

Even if he asked for it.

Not that he managed to obtain that permission so easily.

At first, the coach wanted him to stay away from the gym because he thought it'd be easier for a stubborn player like Tooru to stay away from practice if isolated from his beloved sport, because - once again - yes, he could put himself in worse conditions. He knows just how good Tooru is and he can't allow himself lose him. The team needs him.

He also asks Hajime to take care of it.

This time, however, Tooru wasn't happy with the decision – not that the forced rest has made him happy in any way, but at least he wanted to _be_ there whenhis friends play – so he tried to sneak in countless times, not caring about the consequences, until eventually, Hajime found him - every time - and kicked him out. After hearing Tooru's complains and realizing that, no matter how many times he yelled at him or hit him, he'd still try to go in. So he talked the coach into making the setter stay on the bench and _just _watch, swearing to kick his ass for good and force him out if he even dared to touch a ball or any of the equipment.

And now, there he is.

Frustrated once again.

The net with the balls is just a couple of meters away from him and he isn't allowed to even look at it for too long otherwise he'll get scolded. He focuses back on the match, deciding to observe what his friends need to work on in the future, so he could at least help the team to get better when he's back. But it's so not enough. There's no way he could be so optimistic about his role.

Not when Kageyama Tobio is the setter.

On the same team as Hajime.

Every toss of his feels like a punch in his face. It makes him so angry, just like it did every _fucking _day of this _fucking_ week _his _spiker spent practicing with Kageyama _fucking_ Tobio and not with _him_.

The young setter just keeps getting better and better and being in the condition he's put in, Tooru feels like throwing up. The nervousness is back and is preventing him to sleep. Even though he's lacking plenty of it, he just isn't able to collapse and rest for real. Because he's at risk. Because Tobio is getting stronger and if he doesn't get back to work soon, he's going to reach him.

He returns to reality when hears the whistle blow and realizes the match's over.

Hajime's - and Tobio's - team wins.

"Good job everyone! Take a small break and then let's get back to regular practice!" the coach speaks as he watches the players line up in front of him. "One more thing. We are having a practice match in three weeks, so make sure you're ready for it." He then glances at the winning team. "Good job you guys. Iwaizumi, Kageyama, nice teamwork. I want to see more of that in the future games." He pauses and looks at Tooru for a moment before returning his eyes on Tobio. "Kageyama, if Oikawa won't be able to play by then, I'm counting on you as the main setter."

Hajime clenches his fists, but decides to stay silent. He glances at Tooru, whose expression became a mix of shock and desperation as soon as he heard those words coming out of the coach's mouth.

_'Oh, shit.'_

"Good job, Kageyama!" The other players praise him for a good moment before they make their way to their bags to refresh themselves and Tobio can't help but blush slightly as a smile appears on his face...

He's so happy.

Even if it was just a practice match between teammates, he got to play seriously.

And it felt _so_ good.

He looks around for Hajime and finds him standing not far away from him, still on the court.

"Iwaizumi-san!" Hajime turns to face him and raises an eyebrow at the happy expression on the younger boy's face. "Nice job, Iwaizumi-san!" Seeing Tobio's sincere enthusiasm and satisfaction, Hajime can't help but smile and raises a hand to ruffle the boy's hair. "You were the one who tossed to me. So you did a greater job than me."

When he draws back his hand, he looks up towards the benches and finds Tooru still sitting there, in the exact same place he was before; and he's watching - staring at them. Even though he isn't close to him, and doesn't see him clearly, he knows he should go there.

_'I'd better check on him.'_

Without speaking a word more, he approaches him.

Tobio watches him move away, and once he understands where he's going, he follows him. This is his occasion to _finally_ talk to Tooru. They still haven't exchanged a word since school started - and that was almost two months ago – and he wants to talk to him about so many things. _'Maybe I can finally ask him to teach me something.'_

"Oi, you idiot. What's with that face?" Tooru looks up at him, pouting. "You're so mean, Iwa-chan. I haven't even done anything." he whines. He moves his gaze back to the court and it takes no more than a single second to realize Tobio's in front of him and something in his chest tugs. Once he noticed Hajime walking towards him, he totally forgot about Tobio and now the little brat's_ in front of him_. He feels his mouth dry, but tries to forget about it and keep his cool. "I see you're not alone."

"Huh?"

"Hello, Oikawa-san."

Hajime turns around, eyes widening in surprise. He didn't even notice the boy coming after him, otherwise he would've found an excuse to avoid it. The realization of the situation falls upon him and he freezes.

_'Oh. Shit.'_

This can't possibly end well; this _won't_ end well. He, as well as every single person in the gym, is aware that Tobio and Tooru should meet as rarely as possible. And by any means, the two of them must never, _ever_ be left alone.

Or better, it's _Tooru_ who mustn't be left alone with him.

Hajime gets ready for anything tha could come out from the older setter, trying not to show his worry until something actually happens. He knows he's frustrated once again; after all, he's forced to stay away from practice and watching the game they organized without being able to participate must have added more irritation to the whole thing. ANd the last thing the coach told them must've made it at least ten times worse.

He's waiting for it, and from what he knows, it's going a violent reaction.

What he gets though, is nothing like that; Tooru just nods his head in response to the boy's words but doesn't consider him too much. His eyes get back to meet Hajime's and he smirks. "Nice game, Iwa-chan. But are you sure you're not trying to hard? It's not an official match and even if it were, no one would be looking at you."

A vein pops on Hajime's forehead; he turns around and walks to the net. So much about worrying... He's the same idiot as always... Tooru yelps as he sees him picking a ball and stands up quickly, looking around for a place to hide. "W-wait, Iwa-chan! I was kidding... I was- I'm not allowed to touch the ball- Ouch!"

The ball hits him and then bounces down on the floor.

"Do you want more, Assikawa?!"

"No!"

"Then shut the hell up!"

With that, Tooru sits back down on the bench and notices Tobio's been watching the whole scene, confused. "What's wrong?" Tobio seems to wake up from his daze and shakes his head. "N-nothing! Everything's fine."

"You sure?"

"Y-yeah." he stutters and then pauses, thinking about something. He then opens his mouth as if he wanted to say something else, but ends up closing it without a sound. Tooru raises an eyebrow and looks at Hajime, whose eyes are still glued on him and are studying him, trying to read what's on his mind... Or better: trying to figure out a way to keep down what's on his mind.

And Tooru tries his best to do the same. He mustn't think about it...

But it's so hard.

Every single muscle in his body is trembling and just begging him to jump on his feet and kick that little fucker in front of him for existing. He's soon going to become another Wakatoshi and Tooru wants to prevent that from happening with all his might.

Figuring his thoughts, Hajime concludes it'd be better if he sent Tobio away, but from what he's seen, the boy is oblivious to Tooru's resentment, even if _everyone_ knows about it, no words or actions needed. This means he needs to a good reason to convince him and take him away. And there's only one way.

"Well then, I guess we should return to practice."

Tobio looks at him, looking slightly disappointed. "Sure. Umm, Iwaizumi-san, could you help me with my tosses some more?" he asks in the end, and before giving him an answer Hajime takes a minute to consider the situation. Tooru's not looking at them anymore, but it's obvious he's not pleased with it and the only thing preventing him to snap is the large number of people, coach included, in the gym. He doesn't want to get in trouble for something so stupid.

_'But it isn't Kageyama's fault.'_ Hajime thinks. Or maybe it is, but he's not doing it on purpose. Tooru's jealousy is fed by the envy for the younger boy's talent, and Tobio didn't ask for it.

He smiles and picks the ball he's just hit Tooru's head with and points to the field. "Sure. You go ahead. I'll be coming in a second."

Tobio nods enthusiastically and looks one more time at Tooru, smiling. "Ne, Oikawa-san. I hope you get better soon." With that, he takes the ball from Hajime's hands and headsto the court, leaving the two alone. They stay silent for a while, before Tooru finally speaks: "You should go, or your body will cool down."

Hajime raises an eyebrow. "Are you really okay with that?"

"Don't worry about it."

"You are. Why-"

"It's okay, Iwa-chan. Just go." Tooru's voice gives it all out. He doesn't want him to go, but he's still telling him to because he knows Hajime needs to get used to him. Just in case he doesn't make it to play in that practice match. No one ever said that if Tooru isn't able to participate, then Hajime shouldn't do so either.

This time he's not being selfish.

"I'll make it up to you." Hajime says when he turns his back to him.

"You'd better keep your promise, Iwa-chan." He fakes one of his usual smiles, and it pisses Hajime off because there's nothing he can do about it. Hajime says nothing to that sentence and returns to the court, ready to practice with his new temporary partner.

And as Tooru watches him walk away, he can't help but realize he misses him. Not as a person, because they're together every day, but as his spiker. It's been so long since he has last tossed to him and... What if he still won't be able to do it for a long time in the future?

_'Ne, Oikawa-san. I hope you get better soon.'_

He feels anger boiling inside of him. Tobio's getting to play with Hajime and is also being nice to _him_.

It's hard to bear.

He feels like throwing up.

He grips his thighs tight and grits his teeth.

He watches.

Tobio tosses.

And Hajime hits the ball and it lands perfectly on the other side of the net.

And it's amazing; the strength, the form... Everything.

He curses under his breath, feeling his eyes burn and something in his chest starts to hurt, much different from before.

_'That damn brat!'_

"Nice toss, Kageyama! Try to make it a little higher though. For me it's easier like that." Hajime says as he lands from his jump.

Tobio nods and grabs another ball from the floor and as he sees it, Hajime gets ready to jump again, but before he manages to break the contact with the ground again, Tobio looks down.

"Ne, Iwaizumi-san."

"What is it?"

Tobio seems to think about it for a moment and Hajime tilts his head to the side, confused. "Is everything alright?" he asks. Suddenly Tobio's eyes move back for the umpteenth time that day on Tooru, who's still where they left him and is fumbling with his cellphone and obviously not paying attention to the two of them.

As if feeling reassured by the lack of attention, Tobio takes a deep breath and finally asks. "Iwaizumi-san, will Oikawa-san get back to play soon?"

"Huh?" For a moment, Hajime thinks he didn't hear it right, but as the minutes go by, and Tobio's eyes are fixed on his own by now waiting for an answer, he laughs.

_'This can't be possible.'_

Tobio flinches. "Iwaizumi-san..."

"Don't worry about him. Of course he is. His body is just a bit tired; once it gets some proper rest, he'll be back. He's just fine." he reassures him. After listening his words, Tobio's attention's caught once again by the older setter on the bench. _'Then why does he look so sad?'_ He doesn't ask that though.

He figures he won't be looking like that when he's back on the court. He's going to feel better.

So when that happens, he decides, he's going to ask him to teach him how to serve.


	7. Nothing Like The Usual Him

**Won't Let You Reach**

* * *

><p>#7 – Nothing Like The Usual Him<p>

* * *

><p>"Alright everyone! Practice's over! See ya tomorrow!"<p>

"Thank you very much!"

After greeting the coach, the players start to clean the gym up before they get back to the changing rooms.

Tooru observes every single one of them carefully, sitting on the bench as usual. No one bothers to ask him for help for anything, so he doesn't bother to stand up and give it to them on his own. His gaze shifts from them to the court, which isn't empty as it should be. Because the two of them are still there, talking. They've been going at it for quite a while and Tooru can't help but wonder what the subject my be. _'Probably a new strategy...'_

Some teammates join them when they're called in for an opinion, but they talk so damn quietly that Tooru doesn't catch a word of it.

When everything's done, the others head to the locker rooms.

Hajime and Tobio are the last ones to leave the court, as expected.

They've been together since they left Tooru on the bench after their brief talk and didn't split for a second. The progress they made is visible even after two mere hours: Hajime's become used to the young setter's tosses and by now, every single one of them lands on the other side of the net as if they've been playing together for years.

Before going to change, they approach Tooru one more time – Hajime leads, and Tobio follows him just like before – and stop in front of him. Hazel eyes raise up to meet black and Tooru tries his best to pull off a smile. "Nice job today, Iwa-chan."

Hajime says nothing in response, because he knows he's so fake – the smile - and just crosses his arms over his chest. Tobio's the one to break the silence though, making his way between them and grinning. "Iwaizumi-san's really amazing, Oikawa-san. You're lucky to train with him all the time." His voice is full of enthusiasm and he looks like a child who just got to do the most amazing thing in the world, and once again, he seems oblivious to the glare he's receiving from the older setter.

_'As if you didn't spend the whole week with him.'_ Tooru clutches his pants. _'Stupid brat.'_

"I guess I am..." he mumbles, returning to look at Hajime.

The spiker's eyes have never left him and from what he's seen, Tooru isn't going to last long. He should probably send him home to sleep, because he's gotten way too many bad surprises today and his leg also must've given him some problems, since he avoided to move around too much even during school hours, except to change places and heading from his classroom to the gym.

And Tobio is most likely the last person he wants to have in front of his eyes right now.

"Let's go to change, Kageyama."

Tobio looks at him, pouting slightly: he _really_ wants to stay there more; and Hajime isn't sure if it's more practice he wants or rather Tooru's company - because the second option is so evident -, but he can't let him have any of that at the moment. Not when his best friend is on the edge of breaking his neck with his bare hands.

It's not healthy.

"Come on." he repeats and motions him with his hand to follow him and this time, he complies immediately. Before turning to the hall, Hajime glances at Tooru one last time, without meeting his gaze though, because his head is already turned to the other side.

Tooru doesn't want to see them. He doesn't really want to keep having the genius right there, because he feels like he's getting closer to lose control more and more with every time the damn brat walks in front of him. And he's sick of it. He wants to get back to practice; he wants to work on his serve and his tosses; he wants his team and he wants his Iwa-chan back.

But all of that is still so distant.

_'One more week like this...'_

He groans and grabs his head with his hands, gripping his hair tightly.

He can't pull this off; he feels like he's going crazy. He already barely holds himself back and there are still seven days more to wait... There's no way he'll be able to keep his cool for that long. He needs to do something... Anything.

His breathing gets heavier as panic starts to grow and for a moment, he holds his breath and looks around to see if anyone's watching. When he realizes he's alone, a thought crosses his mind. His eyes focus on a ball not too far away from him that his teammates forgot to pick up and take away before. His blood's rushing through his veins and he can feel it boiling, burning him with each passing second.

_'Just once...'_

He knows he shouldn't be having this kind of thoughts.

But he _needs_ it.

He stands up slowly and takes unsure steps towards it. It feels weird, because he still isn't used to his knee supporter; he's never had anything tight like that wrapped around his leg and even if it's been seven days since it's been on, it still feels weird. Yet, he has to admit, it's easier to move.

When he finally reaches the ball, he stares at it for a good minute before finally bending and picking it up.

He sighs; the familiar feeling of it in his hands is finally back and only now he remembers how good it feels. It makes him unconsciously grip it tighter. He turns around and watches the court.

_'Just once won't hurt... Will it?'_

He move behind the white field line and takes in a deep breath. This is it.

"Very well, Kageyama... I'll see ya tomorrow then."

"Yes, Iwaizumi-san! Good night!"

Tooru doesn't even have the time to throw it away and finds himself unable to move. He straightens his back and turns towards the entrance of the hall from which he hears footsteps he figures are Hajime's and a couple of seconds later, he's coming out from there.

When he sees what's in his hands, Hajime stiffens.

"What are you doing?"

Tooru swallows, a chill runs down his spine. _'Calm down. You haven't done anything... It's okay.'_

His lips curve up slightly. "You guys forgot to put this one away so I thought I'd do it while you were changing. I have nothing else to do here anyway." Without waiting for a reply, he makes his way to the storage room, feeling Hajime's presence close behind him, and puts it in the corner with the others.

When he turns around, Hajime's standing in front of him, his face a few inches away from his own. He's so close he can feel his warm breath on his lips and for a moment, he looks like he's going to kiss him.

"Is everything alright?"

He doesn't.

Hearing those words coming out of his mouth, Tooru makes a step back and waves his hand. "Don't worry, Iwa-chan... Let's go." Without adding anything else, he walks past him to get out and heads to where his bag is. And Hajime follows again, the same distance still between them. Once they pick them up, they walk out of the gym, Hajime locking it since the coach left the keys to him for the night, as he had to leav early.

They walk slowly, Hajime taking the lead at some point and Tooru staying behind. None of them speak and Hajime finds himself wondering why it's been such a common thing recently.

Most people would expect Tooru to be a lot more talkative than he actually is, but not Hajime. He knows that Tooru doesn't babble on as much as people think he does. He can, of course, if he needs to – he's a good talker and knows far too well how to sustain a conversation long enough to keep any awkwardness away when he's with people he's not too familiar with - because he never is, even if he seems to be. But when with him, Hajime knows that Tooru doesn't feel the need to try to keep up banal conversation and it's okay to just be quiet when it's just the two of them alone - except when there's _really something Tooru wants to talk about_ and starts rambling until he says it all. It's how it's always been.

And yet, Hajime thinks, in a moment like this having him talking non-stop about some random crap wouldn't be so bad... Especially now that there keeps getting less of it as time goes by and he kind of misses the idiot Tooru who kept coming out saying stupid things even out of context. The silence too, isn't the usual type, but is more tense and uncomfortable than Hajime ever thought could be possible. He wonders if it'll get better eventually, when his leg heals and he gets back to the court.

He _hopes_ it'll be better.

Even because there's nothing he can do about it anyway and honestly these awkward moments between them shouldn't take place anymore; they leave a strange sensation in his chest and there's nothing pleasant in it. He just doesn't want to feel that way around him.

He holds back a sigh and keeps walking, concentrating on the sound of Tooru's footsteps behind him. They are a couple of steps from his house, when that sound suddenly stops and he immediately finds himself turning around. "What is it?"

Tooru looks at him. "You're home."

Hajime raises an eyebrow.

"I guess I'll see you tomorrow then."

And Hajime stiffens. Tooru's eyes are still fixed on his but they aren't looking at him. They don't even look like they belong to him. It's been a week since he started to be like that, right after the doctor told him he'd have to sit out of practice for at least two weeks – and maybe even more, depending on how he'd take care of himself - and he just can't get used to it.

Because this is _not_ Tooru.

"Do you want to come in?" he asks anyway, stunning himself with the helplessness he hears in his own words. Because he wants him to come in so badly and make sure nothing's wrong between them. Tooru has always accepted and stayed a while longer – sometimes the whole night – even if he rarely asked him to. He's never turned him down, so he won't do it now... Right?

And yet, for the first time, he does.

"Sorry, Iwa-chan, but I think I'll pass today. I'm... Tired."

Hajime feels something tug in his chest: he never though a 'sorry' could actually hurt this badly if spoken in a moment like this. He doesn't move from his spot, still hoping Tooru would suddenly start to laugh and tell him he's joking. He feels heavy, not sure about what to do. This has never happened before.

"Are you sure? I told you I'd make it up to you."

_'What am I saying?'_ He feels his throat getting dry. It doesn't take him long before he realizes he's actually being desperate, and there are so many things rushing through his mind that he doesn't even know what's causing it.

"Maybe another time, Iwa-chan."

He clenches his fists and gets closer to Tooru, who fortunately doesn't move from the spot and lets him lessen the distance between them. He takes his time to take a closer look at him. And he curses himself for not having done that a while ago, because maybe he could've avoided the sight he was in front in this very moment.

Tooru's eyes are shallow, his skin much paler than usual and there are black bags under his eyes. He hasn't been sleeping and Hajime doesn't understand why he wasn't able to notice it until now. Sure, these days they haven't been together as much as usual, since Tooru wasn't active during practice and a couple of times he even had to leave earlier for a check up at the doctor's.

But he doesn't accept any of those as a good reason.

"You're really in a bad shape." He speaks before even being able to think.

Usually Tooru would whine and tell him how rude he is, but this time he pulls off a sad smile and shrugs his shoulders. "I guess I am."

And it's not only physical. It goes way beyond that.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"I'm tired, Iwa-chan."

"I have a bed, you know."

Tooru sighs, lowering his head. _'Looks like you still didn't notice.'_ He says nothing in return and just shakes his head and Hajime knows he mustn't put any more pressure on him, so he just nods and turns around towards his house. He walks slowly towards it and just when he's about to enter the gate, Tooru calls out to him.

"Iwa-chan..."

He turns back.

"What if I don't heal in time for our next game?"

Hajime freezes once again and holds his breath in. He's never even considered Tooru _not_ healing at all, because he _is_ going to heal and everything's going to be fine again. But he's also never considered him not healing _in time_. The realization of him not playing in an actual match with another team – even if just for a practice game – was something that never even crossed his mind.

Tooru's expression says it all and the least Hajime can do is try to say – do - something to change it. But right now he's just created a doubt to himself and he's going to have to deal with it.

"You're going to be fine."

He's not even convinced of his own words, so it's not a surprise Tooru doesn't fall for it.

"How can you know that? It's been a week and my leg hasn't gotten better at all. It still hurts like hell and there are only three weeks before the match..." Tooru's words are loud and cold and there's nothing of his usual cheerful tone in it and Hajime knows that if he doesn't come up with something right now, he's going to break down completely.

"Hey... It's going to be alright. Come inside and let's talk about it." Hajime tries one last time, not really wanting to put up a scene for the neighbors. It's dinner time and nobody would want to be disturbed by a fight between school boys.

"I DON'T WANT TO COME IN!" Tooru screams. His body starts shaking from the mixture of feelings and Hajime realizes he's going to have to deal with it right here and right now.

But he needs to be careful.

"The pain can't stop in such a little time. You messed it up quite badly, but it won't be like this forever. Be patient and let it rest and you'll be fine by then." Hajime hopes his tone sounds better this time but finds out he's wrong when Tooru's eyes widen and he grits his teeth. "There's no time to be patient... I need to get back to practice!"

"It'll get worse if you do it immediately!"

"I don't want to be subbed out!"

And Hajime has enough. "I don't want that either!" He's shouting as he speaks; with all the noise Tooru has made, the neighbors are probably aware of them already so there's no point in trying to avoid it. "Do you think it's nice having to play with a guy I've only known for a couple of months instead of the idiot I've known since I was a kid?!" Tooru gasps, not expecting that kind of reaction. "But you know what? I'd rather keep playing with him... or not play at all if you getting back would mean you screwing yourself even more!"

That hurt. Tooru knows he means it and is deeply concerned about his health, but hearing he'd rather exchange him with Tobio still hurts, no matter what the reason behind it might be.

"So right now... You prefer Kageyama, huh?" All the previous anger in Tooru's voice disappears and his tone suddenly quiets down and Hajime figures out he probably chose the wrong words to say, even if they represent what's truly on his mind. But he doesn't want to start a fight, because none of them is strong enough to handle it.

"I didn't mean it like that." He shakes his head in denial and Tooru clenches his fists. "But you just said it!"

"I don't wanna fight."

"You-"

"Go home." Hajime makes his decision.

"What?"

"Go home, Oikawa."

Hajime doesn't want to say these words so seriously, but if he kept quiet and continued to try to calm Tooru down without success, the situation would have gotten worse and they'd be back to the evening of one week ago. Hajime sighs and looks away. "Try to get some rest; you need it."

With that he turns around and finally walks to his door and before opening it glances back at Tooru, who's still standing in the same place, silently. He says nothing as he watches him finally move to turn around and walk away towards his own house and, just for a moment, Hajime regrets asking that of him but the feeling vanishes as soon as a possible consequence of them screaming at each other pops in his mind.

_'It's just for tonight...It's better like this.'_

He takes a deep breath and finally walks in his house. When he shuts the door close, he leans on it with his back.

"I'm back."

It's better like this for both of them. At least for now, until they both get themselves back together.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's notes: <strong>Hello everyone! Thank you for reading this FF so far and a big thank you to those who put it in their favourites and followed stories. I really appreciate. Please don't forget to review, because I really love hearing from you guys as well.

Anyway, these notes are actually meant to explain one thing for now. When Tooru mentions Tobio, he refers to him as Kageyama. This may look like a mistake (since in the manga he calls him Tobio-chan) but these are the moments before he actually starts calling him that. They still didn't have any real interactions, so I think it wouldn't make too much sense for Tooru to use that name.

Once again, thank you for reading. See you on the next update!


	8. See You Tomorrow

**Won't Let You Reach**

* * *

><p>#8 – See You Tomorrow<p>

* * *

><p><em>'Go home, Oikawa."<em>

Tooru wishes he never put himself in a situation like this. Hearing_ those_ words with _that_ tone of voice is just too much for him. And he wonders when it all started to go wrong. He and Hajime have been friends since they were kids and during all those years they've never had a fight or any difficult situations. But it seems that, with this school year's beginning, everything is just turning around.

It all started with his frustration and envy of Tobio's natural talent and it got worse when Tooru exaggerated with his training and hurt himself. Hajime tried and still tries his best to be there for him whenever he needs him - and even when he pretends he doesn't - but it seems that all Tooru's able to do in return is to push him away. If Tooru were a person with a smaller ego, he would've taken the situation in another way and would've most likely avoided lots of things that happened between them.

Too bad he's not like that. _'That damn brat! If he just didn't exist, nothing of this would've happened...'_

Even though he's been trying to convince himself he's got nothing to do with this and that everything and everyone are just picking on him, deep inside he knows Tobio isn't to blame for everything bad that's been happening to him. Almost everything was his own fault - the injury, the fear - because it's him who's bringing all of it on himself, but he would never admit that – sometimes he would, to himself, but never aloud.

There are very few things he actually regrets. It's not that he thinks everything he does is right - well, most of it is - but he believes most things that may not be positive, but stil aren't regrettable. He's not used to it, because he doesn't really believe he's done bad things in the past. He may have broken a girl's heart – maybe (definitely) it was more than just one girl – and messed around quite a lot, but he wasn't planning to stop; those were just normal things for a school boy of his age. So it's okay to be like that.

This time is one of the rare occasions he finds himself regretting some of his actions.

Maybe he should've kept his thoughts about not healing in time in his head and accept Hajime's proposal to come to his house. He could've brought it up eventually and maybe he could've let Hajime reassure him. Or he could've just avoided to bring anything up at all and just keep it to himself like he's been doing for the past seven days.

At least he wouldn't have to spend _another_ night on his own.

He shakes his head to chase away the thoughts and speeds up his walking towards his house. It's getting dark and he really needs to lie down and put his leg to rest. If it hadn't hurt that much for the whole day, maybe he would've been in a better mood than he is right now.

He feels like it's taking him forever to reach home and he doesn't know if it's because he's been walking so slowly or if it's because he took different – slightly longer – route to get there.

Whatever it is, he doesn't really mind, because he needs his time to think.

His thoughts return to Hajime – a bit of cold isn't going to kill him; he's close to his destination anyway – and he's wondering how he's doing. He was really upset before, maybe even more than Tooru himself was and he knows it's because of him. It's always because of him and his selfish being.

At least he was able to spend his afternoon practicing hard. Tooru's hands curl in fists, his knuckles turning white at the memory of him and Tobio playing together in that small match. It should've been him...

Another thing Tooru doesn't admit openly is jealousy.

People will notice it in his behavior, but he'll never say it out loud. This time the object of his jealousy is Tobio – the first time it happened it was because of Wakatoshi – and all the people in the gym are aware of that. Tobio, however, somehow still seems oblivious to it and Tooru doesn't know if he should be relieved about that or not. If he knew, maybe it would be easier for him to stay away from him, to avoid situations like before.

He muses about it for a while and then decides it's better like this.

At least there won't be some more direct and unwanted tension in the team – as if Tooru hasn't already created enough of it – and maybe, as time goes by, Tooru will be able to ignore it and then go to high school and leave it all behind. Wakatoshi is - must be, because it's all he can allow himself - his only goal.

Yet, he first has to deal with Hajime; because without him nothing will ever go forward. He needs to focus on healing first and then he must get his spiker back with him on full time.

He suddenly stops and looks up, realizing he got home. He finds it kind of amusing how long it seemed to take and now here he is.

He doesn't lose any more time outside and goes in. The lights are turned on, which means at least one of his parents is home and as he opens the door and says a loud "I'm back", he finds his mother coming out of the kitchen.

"Welcome home, Tooru. How's your leg?"

Tooru decides not to tell her it hurts. She doesn't need to worry. "Everything's fine, mom."

The woman observes him and can immediately tell he's lying – after all, she knows her son better than anyone – but he doesn't seem in the mood to talk about it, so she just pretends to believe him. "Dinner's going to be ready soon."

"Actually, mom..." He maintains his voice cheerful and relaxed, pulling out a smile. "I'm kinda tired, so I'm going to skip today and go straight to bed."

"Are you sure? Do you not feel well?"

"No, mom. Don't worry. I just had a rough day."

"Fine, but if you change your mind just come down and I'll warm it up. Okay?"

"Okay."

With that he heads upstairs to his room and once he's in, he slides the door close. He drops his bag on the floor and unrolls his futon and puts his pillow on it. Once his bed is ready, he slides out of his gym clothes and throws them on the floor. He then takes his school uniform out of his bag and puts it on the hanger, ready for tomorrow.

He grabs his pajamas and puts it on and once he's fully dressed, he lets himself fall on the soft mattress and sighs.

It's good to finally relax – leg especially – after such a heavy day. And to think there are still going to be lots of them coming up in the future makes him feel surprisingly weak.

He's sick of this constant bad mood. It's making him ruin everything dear to him and he wants it to stop.

He rolls over so he's lying on his side and looks at the gym uniform on the floor. _'Iwa-chan...'_ He decides to apologize right now - it's too long to wait for tomorrow - and holds out his hand and reaches for his pants. He digs his hand in his pocket, pulling out his iPhone. He then returns in his previous position. He looks at the ceiling for a moment.

_'What do I say, though?'_

He's really been mean to him. If he just hadn't reacted like that maybe he wouldn't be feeling guilty and _alone_ in his bed right now. He huffs in frustration and finally starts to type a new message for Hajime.

"_Are you still awake?"_

He presses send and then is about to lay the phone down next to him, but before he manages to even move his hand, the phone vibrates and the screen lights up.

"_Yeah."_

Tooru is tempted to write a teasing message like 'have you been waiting for me to text you?' but decides against it. It's not a moment for idiot jokes right now. He needs to be careful with his words.

"_I'm sorry about before... Are you still mad at me?"_

He hesitates to send it, but he does eventually and this time he doesn't even bother to think about putting the phone down; he keeps it in his hand and stares at it until a new message from Hajime pops up on the screen. He takes in a deep breath and opens it.

"_I'm not mad."_

Tooru believes him. It's not like Hajime to lie to him; he's always told him what was on his mind, whether it was nice or not - so if he's saying he's not mad, then he isn't. And yet, Tooru doesn't know what to tell him now, because another simple 'I'm sorry' isn't enough and there's nothing else coming in his mind at the moment. Usually there are tons of random things he would write to him, but the situation is too dalicate and it leaves him wordless.

Suddenly his phone lights up again.

"_How's your leg?"_

Tooru finds himself smiling. _'I'm such an idiot.' _Hajime's being so nice to him even though he lacks him respect so many times. He feels guilt tugging in his chest more than before, even though things are okay between them. But he it just isn't fair from him.

"_It hurts a little, but nothing to be worried about. I'm resting."_

The reply comes a minute later.

"_You finally got that in that thick head of yours."_

Tooru laughs.

_"Don't spoil the moment, Iwa-chan!"_

He then adds something more to it. _"I really mean it. I'm sorry about before. I've been acting like an idiot lately."_ He sighs and sends it. When the phone vibrates again, he doesn't open the message immediately. He should be telling Hajime all these things aloud and in person.

He bites his lip and reads the text.

"_Don't worry about it. It's been a tough week for you, so no grudges."_

Another smile makes its way on his lips and this time he types in the number he learned by heart long ago and presses the call button. Hajime answers after not even five seconds.

"Hello, Iwa-chan." Tooru tries to sound cheerful, but something's off, and Hajime can tell.

And he knows.

"I said it's okay. I accept your apology, so quit whining."

"I'm not whining!"

"Now you are, Trashykawa!"

"Mean!"

Tooru can't help but feel happy because of the insult, because Hajime insults him only when everything's alright between them. He's also glad because Hajime, unlike him, isn't the type of person to hold grudges and he constantly reminds himself to look up to him in that section. But he never does, because not holding grudges wouldn't be him. He thanks God for the way Hasjime is, otherwise he would've already put an end to their friendship a long time ago because of his childish manners and selfishness.

He's silent for a few seconds, before he takes in a deep breath.

"Ne, Iwa-chan..."

"What?"

Hajime's tone is quieter than usual and Tooru thinks he might – definitely is – be tired and is not sure if it'd be good to ask him what he's planning to. But he can make it better. For both of them.

"Can you come over?"

Hajime doesn't answer on the other side of the line and Tooru bites his lip. "Please..."

"Oikawa..."

"_Please._"

"I think it's better if you get some rest..."

"But-"

"On your own."

Tooru covers his eyes with his free hand. _'Goddammit.'_

"Iwa-chan... I don't want to be alone." His voice is quiet, trembling and his chest starts to hurt. He doesn't understand why he's refusing him. He said he isn't angry and... Of course. "I already said I'm sorry..."

"It's not because of that."

"Then what is it?"

He hears Hajime sigh and he stops breathing.

"You were quite clear about it before. You said you were tired and wanted to get some rest."

"Iwa-ch-"

"No. I'll see you tomorrow."

Tooru grimaces. How mean of Hajime to use his words against him – even though he_ did_ say that. But still... He doesn't want it to be like that; Hajime doesn't seem available for a change of mind either, therefore he must accept it.

Fortunately Hajime doesn't hang up on him, so Tooru still has a chance.

"Can you at least pick me up tomorrow before school?"

There is a moment of silence and Tooru really starts to worry that Hajime actually is becoming like him.

"Of course. Same time?"

And Tooru smiles.

He feels as if a huge weight's been lifted from his body.

"Same time."

"Okay."

"Ne, Iwa-chan..."

"Mmh?"

Tooru holds his breath. "I'll be seeing you tomorrow, then?"

"Yeah, tomorrow." Hajime's voice is firm but kind and when it's like that, Tooru knows there are no other meanings behind it. He's not resenting him for being an idiot and to Tooru, that is enough.

"Goodnight, Iwa-chan..."

"Goodnight."

They end the call at the same moment and as soon as he presses the red button, Tooru lays the phone down on the floor next to the futon. He then sighs and sits up to grab his covers and pull them over himself before returning to his lying position. He shifts a couple of times and then relaxes.

His leg still hurts a little, but it's much better now. It's easier to bear and at least for tonight, he won't need any painkillers.

The futon feels really nice, he notices. He rarely thinks about it, especially since he sleeps on it every night so he should be used to it. But tonight it's different... pleasing. And he doesn't know if it's because he's tired for real or what, but decides to not think about it and just enjoy it.

Sure, it would feel even better if Hajime were with him, because it'd be much warmer, but he can keep it like this for now. He hopes he'll be able to sleep tonight so he can make up for the damage the past week's insomnia brought to him.

He closes his eyes slowly, another sigh escaping his mouth.

Hajime _is _going to be there in the morning.

He feels himself slowly drifting away, his lips curving up slightly.

* * *

><p>He doesn't wake up for the rest of the night.<p> 


	9. Sleep Craving

**Won't Let You Reach**

* * *

><p>#9 - Sleep Crave<p>

* * *

><p>Tooru wakes up when his mother barges in his room and tells him to do so, otherwise he'll have to do everything in a hurry and that won't be a good way to start the day.<p>

He rubs his eyes and then sits up, stretching. He glances on his side and at his phone and realizes he didn't hear his alarm ring at all – though it_did_ ring; twice – and immediately takes a mental note to turn the volume even higher for the next morning.

He feels kind of relieved though, because after a whole week of insomnia and pain caused with every move he made, he actually managed to sleep well even if something's telling him it's still not enough. He feels his body ache slightly, as if begging him to lie back down and he can't believe he didn't care about how much stress he's been putting on it in the previous days. His leg still hurts, which means he'll have to take a painkiller after breakfast. Again.

He slowly gets up from his futon and heads to the wall where his school uniform is and lazily takes it down. He then puts on his shirt, buttoning it up slowly and then puts on the pants, making sure to tug it in for good. He leaves the belt and the tie for last and then heads to the bathroom to wash his face.

The refreshing feeling of cold water makes most of the sleepiness vanish, but he still feels a slight strain in every muscle he uses; he doesn't mind that too much. When he warms up later on, it will go away. He dries himself up with the towel next to the sink and then looks at himself in the mirror.

He isn't pleased with the way he looks; lately he's been looking like a mess and the fact that nothing went away even after last night kind of pisses him off. The dark circles under his eyes are still there and it seems they would still be for a while. Those nine hours weren't enough to make up for anything the previous lack of sleep caused.

Not even a little.

"Tooru!"

His mother's voice snaps him out of his thoughts. "What is it?!"

"Hajime-kun's here, so hurry up and get down!"

His eyes widen and for a moment, everything around him stops. The memory of last night's fight is still vivid in his mind and keeps bothering him immensely, even though they already cleared it up. Deep inside, he was afraid Hajime wouldn't show up in the end, but it seems his fear really didn't need a place in there. _'He's here.'_

He shakes his head and smiles. "I'm coming in a minute!" He then proceeds to brush his teeth and fix his hair and when he's done, he quickly stops back to his room to get his bag and jacket – which he puts on immediately – and then makes his way down.

Hajime's waiting him in the hall, right in front of the entrance and when he notices him coming down, he acknowledges him with a nod. "Morning." Tooru's smile grows wider as he gets closer. "Yoo-hoo, Iwa-chan." He then turns to look at his mother and waves his hand. "We'll be going then."

The woman raises an eyebrow. "Eh? Don't you want your breakfast?"

"No, mom. I'm not hungry."

The woman narrows her eyes, visibly irritated by the answer. "Tooru."

"Yes?"

"You've been barely eating these days. It's not good for your health." Her voice is strict but deeply concerned with a touch of harshness and Tooru tries his best to keep his smile on even though he feels a chill run through his spine, just like when he's about to get kicked really hard by Hajime. "But mom-"

"No buts. Come into the kitchen right now."

"But we're going to be la-"

"We have time." Hajime speaks and Tooru turns to look at him, slightly surprised by the interruption. But then again, it was obvious he would've done this. Hajime's staring at him, annoyed as well, his arms now crossed over his chest. "Have your breakfast."

It sounds like (is) an order and, given the circumstances, Tooru cannot afford to talk back or disobey, so he just turns around and walks to the kitchen table, sitting down and laying his bag on the floor.

"Hajime-kun, do you want to eat something too?" Tooru's mother asks kindly after mouthing a soundless thank you to the boy. Hajime seems to think about it for a moment and then nods. "If it's not a trouble for you, why not?" he speaks and sits next to Tooru: maybe it'll be easier for him to eat if he joins him.

His mother sets everything on the table, first handing them each a large bowl of rice and then some miso soup, grilled fish and a couple of side dishes and Hajime can't help but notice there's a lot more food than there usually is; and he wonders if it's because Tooru's supposed to eat more today, because only in that case it would make sense.

"If you want more, feel free to take it. There's plenty of it anyway. I have to head to work now, so have a good day." After telling them that, she turns on her heel and walks out of the kitchen. A couple of minutes later, the two hear the front door shutting close.

When he's sure she isn't coming back, Tooru raises his gaze from his plate to Hajime, who was already staring at him from before. He gulps. "What is it, Iwa-chan?"

Hajime thinks about scolding him for skipping meals, but in the end, he decides not to. "Nothing. Keep eating." he says and returns his attention to his own food and apparently Tooru does the same, because he doesn't say anything else.

The rest of the breakfast is eaten in silence and when Hajime's done, he lays the chopsticks next to the plate and mumbles a quiet 'thanks for the meal'. He then stands up from his seat, picks up everything he used and takes it to the sink, placing everything down before turning around to look at the setter.

"Are you done?"

Tooru puts his chopsticks down as well and nods slightly and Hajime puts everything away for him as well. He glances at the clock and realizes they still have time, so he turns on the water, ready to wash everything up, but Tooru stands up quickly and turns it off before he even manages to wet his hands. "Don't."

Hajime flinches and focuses back on him. He opens his mouth to say something, but Tooru steps closer and kisses him. He's tense at first, slightly taken aback by the sudden action; even though Tooru has done the same thing plenty of times - and still keeps doing it - he just can't get used to it. Especially now after they had a fight. But eventually he relaxes and lets him do what he wants.

Tooru, on the other hand, doesn't want to waste any time around Hajime for stupid things. He wants to enjoy his company for as much as he can.

He puts his hands on his shoulders as he licks his lips before entering his mouth with his tongue. Hajime moans quietly and tries to pull away to breathe, but Tooru keeps him still, pushing him against the sink and pressing himself against him. When the lack of oxygen makes it impossible to keep up, Hajime turns his head to the side, panting and trying to regain his breath.

Tooru observes his flushed face and smirks in satisfaction, because he loves when _his_ Iwa-chan looks like that because of him. He decides it's enough kissing, because he already got what he wanted and yet, he doesn't pull away from him, and just wraps his arms around him, burying his face in the crook of his neck.

Hajime instinctively raises his hand and buries it in Tooru's soft brown locks, pulling him impossibly closer. They stay like that for a while, until Hajime finally notices how limp the setter's body is against him. "Oi, are you okay?"

The brown-haired boy doesn't react immediately, but nods slightly only about a minute later.

"Let's go upstairs."

Tooru raises his head quickly, giving him a confused look.

"Iwa-chan, we have to go to school."

"You're not going anywhere."

"Huh?"

Hajime hits him on his head, snorting.

"Ouch! What was that for?!" he whines, a pout making its way on his face.

The spiker gets even more irritated by his childish behavior, once again unnecessary because he knows more than well that Tooru is aware of what he said. "Get going, Idiotkawa!" With that, Hajime pushes him away from him, while still holding his arm with one hand and moves towards the hall, dragging him along.

"Iwa-chan, I can walk on my own!"

"Shut up then and do so."

When he lets him go, Tooru follows and soon enough, he's back to his room with Hajime. He watches him slide the door close and then turn to face him. "What now, Iwa-chan? Don't tell me you want to-" He doesn't finish his sentence when he notices the murderous look meeting his.

"Get undressed."

"So lewd, Iwa-chan."

"What did you say?"

"N-nothing..."

Tooru proceeds to untie his tie and then lowers the zip of his pants, sliding them down his legs and stepping out of them. In the end, he gets rid of his shirt as well, remaining in front of the raven-haired boy only in his underwear. He looks around for his pajamas and wears it as Hajime picks up his school uniform and adjust it on the small table next to his computer.

By the time he's done, Tooru has finished changing and is standing still on the place he's been at since they got in.

"Get in bed and rest."

And Hajime understands what the matter is.

Tooru complies and gets down, crawling under the sheets and adjusting his pillow.

Hajime stays still, observing his every movement and making sure there weren't any strange ideas popping on his mind. He's not in the mood for dealing with his shit.

When the setter lets out a relaxed sigh, Hajime knows it's going to be okay from there on. He gets down on his knees to his side and finds Tooru's tired eyes fixed on him. "You okay?"

"Mhm."

"Good."

He straightens up and turns around, walking to the door, ready to leave, but Tooru interrupts him again. "Iwa-chan... After school, are you-"

"I'll come."

And Tooru shuts his mouth.

That's everything he needs to know.

He sighs and makes himself comfortable under the warm sheets and rolls on his side, finally closing his eyes as he feel the ache stop. "I'll see you later then?"

"Yes."

Hajime glances at him as he opens the door.

"Get some rest."

"Mhm."

By the time he's out of the room, he can already hear Tooru's soft snoring. _'It didn't take him long...'_ he thinks as he makes his way down the stairs. He knows how strained he is and right now rest is going to do nothing but good to him.

He opens the front door and steps out, digging a hand in his bag to pull out a copy of the house's keys Tooru's mother gave him when they started their second year of junior high. The reason of that is the fact that Hajime's parents have been traveling quite a lot during the last year and, since their families have been in good terms for so long, Tooru's mother offered him to come to their place whenever he'd feel lonely at home.

He sighs and locks the door carefully so no one can come in and makes his way towards the school without many thoughts.

He's going to be back in the evening anyway.

* * *

><p>When Tooru opens his eyes for the second time that day, the light in his room is turned on and for a moment, he feels confused - and still a bit sleepy - but he manages to sit up eventually. He looks out of his window and realizes it's getting dark outside and he can't help but wonder for how long he has slept.<p>

"Oh, you're awake."

He gasps and turns around, finding Hajime walking in his room, one hand sliding the door close behind him and the other one holding a tray with tea and some snacks. He watches him approach the table and laying everything on it.

"Did you sleep well?"

"Yes."

Hajime nods in approval and then crawls towards him, grabbing a cushion and sitting next to the futon. Tooru motions him to sit _on_ it and moves a bit so he fits as well. "Did you skip-"

"It's already over."

Tooru flinches. "W-what time is it?"

"Half past eight... You slept quite a lot."

"Why didn't you wake me up?"

"I got here ten minutes ago and your mum held me in the kitchen so I could bring everything upstairs." Hajime tells him and Tooru nods. He doesn't move for a while and just stares at Hajime; when he notices it, he raises an eyebrow. "What?"

Tooru smiles and shakes his head. "Nothing."

With that, he leans against Hajime's body and lies his head on his shoulder, his smile widening even more as he feels him adjusting to make him more comfortable. He asks him to tell him about school and Hajime's expression turns into a pissed one when he tells him how girls kept asking about him all day long and to this, Tooru only hums, leaning even more into him.

"You're annoying."

"And you're jealous, Iwa-chan."

This earns him an elbow in his ribs, which makes him whine in response. "Who would be jealous of someone like you?"

Tooru laughs.

"Idiot."

"Don't be mean, Iwa-chan!"

Another jab in the ribs.

Tooru decides to switch positions, because he can get hit too easily like this, so he leans over Hajime, grabs his pillow and lies down with his head on his lap.

Hajime grunts but does nothing to stop him this time either; instead, he puts his hand on his shoulder and leans with his back against the pillow between him and the wall.

"How was practice?"

"Good."

Tooru narrows his eyes slightly. "Just good? What did you do?"

"I practiced on my serve and then on my spikes with Kageyama. Why?" He speaks without thinking and when he sees the face Tooru pulls off after his words, he mentally slaps himself.

Tooru snorts and turns so his back is facing him and Hajime chuckles. "And _I'_m the jealous one."

"Shut up."

Tooru's voice is quivering and even though this childish behavior pisses Hajime off to no end, he can't help himself to find it amusing. The hand on his shoulder moves up and in his hair, caressing him gently.

"Ne, Iwa-chan..."

"What now?"

"What do you want for dinner?"

"Who said anything about me staying-"

_'Oh.'_

He sighs. "Do I even have a choice?"

Tooru turns his head to face him, a large grin on his face. "Of course you don't." And Hajime sighs again.

Of course he doesn't.

"Anything's fine for me, really." Tooru nods against him and then sits up. It seems his good mood is back and Hajime thinks it's better like this. Having to deal with a whiny Tooru for the rest of the evening isn't something he's looking up to.

"Let's watch a movie, Iwa-chan."

Hajime rolls his eyes when Tooru pulls his 'Mars Attack' DVD from the shelf, a movie he made Hajime watch hundreds of times and this probably won't be the last. "Are you serious? _Again?_" he asks annoyed, but Tooru isn't bothered by it in anyway. "Yup."

Hajime's okay with it in the end. As long as Tooru doesn't babble about stupid stuff so he can take this rare opportunity to finish his homework while it lasts. "Can you do mine too?"

"Do it yourself."

"Oh come on, Iwa-chan! It's the same exercices you have too!"

Hajime grunts but moves to grab Tooru's bag as well, pulling out his notebook so he could copy the exercises there. Fortunately they have the same Maths teacher which gives to two different classes the same homework without even thinking that they could just copy them from one another without creating themselves any problems.

The movie starts and Tooru covers himself up, his eyes never leaving the screen and, even though he's seen it so many times, he still acts as if it's the first. But after all, he does that with every alien movie he lays his hands on and there's nothing Hajime can do about it. He just focuses on finishing his Maths problems, so he can finally get rid of the thoughts about it.

The noise Tooru makes during the 'most exciting parts' distract him a lot, but he doesn't complain, because he knows it could always get worse.

When he finishes, he glances at the computer screen and sees that he pretty much missed half of the movie, but he doesn't really see it as a huge loss. He stands up from his place, adjusting his books back in his bag and then reaching out for his cup of tea, now grown cold.

"Pass me mine too."

"Take it yourself."

"Please, Iwa-chan!"

And this time too, Hajime does what he was asked. When he returns to his place, he glances at Tooru. "How's your leg?"

Tooru's eyes widen slightly and he turns to look at him. He wonders if he should lie or not, but in any case he won't be able to play for six more days, so the truth couldn't damage him any more than this. "It hurts."

Hajime can't help himself but to be taken aback by the straightforwardness of the answer. He was expecting the usual fake smile and teasing just to lead him away from hearing an honest answer from him. At least that's what Tooru usually does, but if he hasn't used any of his lame tactics right now, it must really be bad. He doesn't realize his eyes are fixed on his knee until Tooru calls out loud to him, asking if everything's okay.

He just shakes his head and pretends to focus back on the movie, but Tooru's not buying it. "Are you worried for me?"

"I'm not."

"Liar."

"I'm not!"

Tooru's usual mocking smirk makes its way on his face and he moves towards him. "Aren't we sentimental today, Iwa-chan... This morning too..." Tooru puts his hand on his shoulder, turns him around and then adjusts himself so he's sitting on his lap, his legs resting one on each side, and has him trapped between himself and the wall.

Hajime grunts in response and looks away, clearly pissed off. Tooru chuckles at his expression and, thanks to the closeness he's able to notice the faint blush on his spiker's tanned cheeks. "Shut up, Assikawa."

"Come on, Iwa-chan... Don't you know any other insults other than that?"

Tooru's arms wrap slowly around his neck, but Hajime does nothing to stop him; he doesn't even answer to his stupid question, and just closes his eyes. He feels Tooru bury his face in his neck, placing a gentle kiss on the warm skin before sighing. His hands move on their own, placing themselves on his hips.

Hajime doesn't know why, but it feels nice and something in his chest starts to feel weird and it makes him instinctively pull him closer, a hand now sliding from his hip to his right knee and stopping there. He doesn't feel the shape of the knee supporter underneath his pajamas, which means he's keeping it off when he's in bed, just like the doctor told him to do.

"Thank you." Tooru whispers quietly, but Hajime hears him anyway.

Hajime feels himself smiling, his grip on Tooru's leg tightening slightly but not enough to hurt him and just holds him like that. He feels Tooru's body getting limp and he figures he's probably trying to sleep some more because he was told so, and Hajime's about to change their position so he could be a bit more comfortable, but before he's able to even move, Tooru stiffens and holds him in place. "No..."

None of them really cares about the movie anymore; Tooru is slowly drifting away and Hajime didn't care about it from the start. He keeps his eyes on the screen, but he isn't actually watching. He concentrates on Tooru's warm breathing against his skin and the constant movemets of his chest against his as he does so.

"Let me stay like this, Iwa-chan."

And Hajime doesn't move, because Tooru asks him not to - and _he doesn't want to_.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Notes: <strong>Hello everyone! I'm extremely sorry for such a late update, but school's been killing me these days. And when I managed to find some time... I actually wrote a filler. Please don't kill me for that. At least there's some kissing and hugging so...I hope you forgive me. I still don't know actually if the next chapter will be a continuation of this or if I'll be moving on. I guess I have to see where it takes me when I start to write.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter and I apologize once again for the delay. I'll see you on the next update. Please leave a review and let me know what you think.


	10. Welcome Back, Oikawa-san

**Won't Let You Reach**

* * *

><p>#10 – "Welcome Back, Oikawa-san"<p>

* * *

><p>On the day he's allowed to return to practice, Tooru could swear he's the happiest boy on the planet. He missed everything of it, the game, the team, his serve... even the sweat. And now he'c finally coming back to all of it.<p>

When he enters the gym in his training clothes, his teammates stop everything they're doing and greet him warmly and he finds himself smiling. Actually, the rare, genuine smile has been on his face since the day before when his doctor told him he's free to train again from today on and it keeps getting wider and wider as the day goes by.

Those weren't the only words the man told him; he strictly recommended him to be careful and not to strain himself immediately, but to gradually raise the menu every day without exaggerating like he did the last time. "You need to keep it down, Oikawa. At least for a while, until your body gets used to it again." He keeps those words in mind and promises himself he's going to do just that.

The coach also came to him earlier in the morning and he warned him as well: he doesn't want to see him overworking himself once again and he finds himself assuring him he wouldn't see that coming from him anymore.

After all there's no need to rush; he feels better than he thought he would so any kind of extra work is unnecessary. He's going to be happy with even the simplest things for now.

Hajime joins him in his warm up, and runs laps with him around the gym and Tooru doesn't know if he's more glad for being back or the fact that he'll make it for the practice match which will take place in two weeks. The thought of playing again with his team is what is making him go on after all... _'Ushiwaka-chan is going to see who's boss.'_ Even though the match with Shiratorizawa is still so far away, he's already craving for it, because this will be their chance.

He quickens his pace slightly, a confident and satisfied look making it's way on his face.

"You look pleased." Hajime tells him and Tooru's smile only widens.

"I am."

They run one more lap and then return to the gym; Hajime walks to the basket and picks up a ball, throwing it at him. Tooru catches it immediately and looks down at it, making his hands run all over it. The familiar feeling makes him realize once again how much he's been longing for this. However, before moving anywhere from the spot he's standing on, he looks at Hajime almost hesitantly.

The spiker raises an eyebrow, clearly confused.

"What are you waiting for? Aren't you going to try that serve you're so obsessed with?"

"I'm not obsessed with it!"

"Yes, you are."

"Dumb Iwa-chan! I'm not- Ouch!"

Before he's even able to finish a sentence another ball already hits his head. And even though it kind of stings because Hajime is standing closer than usual when he throws it, he can't help but feel happy about that as well. "So mean... And it's only my first day."

"Shut up and do what you have to. Or do you want me to hit you again?"

"I'm going!"

He turns on his heel and heads before the white line of the court. He stands straight behind it and faces the net in front of him, taking a deep breath. When he exhales, he throws the ball in the air, takes the run-up and jumps; his hand hits the ball perfectly, sending the ball flying at an unbelievable speed on the other side of the net and perfectly into the opposite corner.

He lands on his feet – feeling no pain - and watches it roll away, his satisfaction growing by the second.

There's nothing that could go wrong now.

Nothing.

"Oikawa-san, that was an amazing serve!"

Nothing?

Tooru turns around, stiffening immediately when he sees Tobio standing behind him, eyes wide and clear excitement showing on his face. Tooru finds himself swallowing hard and orders himself to keep his cool; he's not going to ruin this day by bothering himself with the brat.

_'Just fake it.'_

He forces another smile and tilts his head on the side. "You flatter me, Tobio-chan..."

Tobio's eyes widen in surprise at the hearing of the nickname, a small blush making its way on his cheeks and Tooru can't help but feel awkwardly satisfied by the embarrassment on his face, no matter how small it might be. He observes as the boy looks away and seems to be looking for words to tell him God knows what, so Tooru doesn't move – even though every part of him is screaming at him to get away.

But as long as he's able to put at least some pressure on Tobio it's good, he tells himself.

Suddenly, the young setter seems to find his courage as takes in a deep breath and finally speaks. "Oikawa-san, welcome back."

Tooru's eyes widen in surprise. That's _not _what he was expecting coming from him. His voice is empty of any sarcasm or any kind of hidden malicious meaning and, most of all, the way he's looking at him seems to tell him he's been missing him. Tooru shakes his head slightly and mentally slaps himself. _'Idiot... How can thoughts like that even cross your mind?' _He keeps his facade though and nods to his words.

Tobio approaches him even more and is now standing just a couple of steps away from him, those blue eyes staring at up at his own so intensely. "Really... That serve was amazing... I wish I could do something like that one day."

Tooru unconsciously moves back, his hands starting to tremble, even though his expression doesn't show any of the things crossing his mind. "I-"

"Oi, dumbas. What's going on here?"

Hajime's return is like a blessing, Tooru thinks. When he finds him standing next to him he feels all the heat pour out of his stomach and he eventually manages to get himself together a little. He's even able to widen the distance between himself and Tobio and, even if it's not by much, it still feels better like this.

"Nothing, Iwaizumi-san. I was just welcoming Oikawa-san back." Tobio answers instead of Tooru and his words are once again empty of any sarcasm but also full of admiration towards the older setter and Hajime finds hard to believe how Tooru's so against him even after he's seen _this_. He looks at Tooru and the nervousness the setter's feeling is clearly visible to him even from afar, and that's why he came here to make it stop.

"You should get back to practice, Kageyama. You too, Oikawa..."

Hajime hopes it's enough for them to go two different ways and hopefully avoid each other till the end of the day, before things start to escalate.

Tobio's easy to convince, because he immediately nods and straightens up. Howerver the request that comes afterwards doesn't make the situation easier like it should. "Iwaizumi-san, could you train with me? I want to get back to the move we were workin' on yesterday."

_A new move?'_ Tooru raises an eyebrow.

_'When did they even-'_

"Sure." Hajime's a bit hesitant to answer, because he wanted to check on the idiot to make sure he keeps the promise he made to him about not pushing himself to his limits, but he seems alright, so he guesses he can leave him alone for a while. Black eyes meet hazel and he smiles. "I'll leave you to your serve then and as I told you already: don't force yourself too much. It's your first day, after all." His voice sounds calm, but somehow distant and Tooru doesn't even manage to say anything that Hajime takes Tobio and they take their leave towards the other side of the court.

And Tooru has enough of it. He turns to the basket he prepared himself and starts his session. He's going to finish what he started to work on before he got hurt and this time, there's nothing that's going to stop him.

He throws the ball in the air and jumps for the second time.

The way it comes out is almost perfect - it goes out, since he didn't actually take the aim -, so why isn't he minimally satisfied with it?

* * *

><p>"Alright, Kageyama! Go!"<p>

Hajime gets ready and as soon as he sees the ball flying to the right spot, he jumps. His hand makes contact with it and slams it to the other side. "Yes!"

He lands on the floor and grins. "Great job!" His voice is cheerful and hearing it like this coming from him,Tobio can't help but feel blood rush to his cheeks. "T-thank you."

Hajime nods and returns to his place, getting ready to do it again.

"Um... Iwaizumi-san..."

"Yes?"

"If you... start the run-up sooner-"

"Got it."

Hajime isn't really sure about it, but Tobio should know, right? Even though he lacks experience, he's still got a good sense for the game, so Hajime trusts him. He does what he was told and this time he doesn't feel it smooth like before, but the blow is indeed more powerful.

"Just like that, Iwaizumi-san. It was good."

Hajime nods. Maybe if he practices it a couple of times he'll get used to it...

"Then let's keep going."

* * *

><p>They practice on that move for over an hour without taking any breaks. None of them feels too tired so they just keep it up without any problems, but Hajime starts to feel bothered after a while, because Tooru's been doing the same. He keeps repeating that serve over and over <em>and over <em>and hasn't gotten himself a minute to rest even though he promised he would.

Suddenly the coach calls out to Hajime and the spiker excuses himself and heads to him. The man looks worried and irritated at the same time and states that it's too much for Tooru's first day and that he should have stopped a while ago already. He also asks Hajime to take him home after he scolds him, but Hajime asks to let _him _go and talk to him. "It won't end up well if he keeps it up like that; his body may have healed, but it's still weak."

Hajime nods. "Let me take care of it."

"Do what you want. I have to go to take a couple of papers I need to sing in my car. If he's still there when I get back-"

"It won't happen."

The coach leaves the gym and Hajime returns to where Tobio is waiting for him. "What did he want?" the younger boy asks curiously, but Hajime doesn't reply, too busy to check on the idiot in front of him.

Suddenly Tooru drops the ball he was holding and Hajime thinks he is actually ending it here, but then he sees something he never wanted in a moment like this: Tooru takes off his right shoe and lowers down to slide his knee supporter off.

"Oi, Assikawa!"

He glances at Tobio, smiling apologetically. "Gimme a second."

"Ah. Y-yeah..."

Hajime runs to the other side and when he reaches him, Tooru has already put his shoe back on and is looking at him with a grin. "What is it, Iwa-chan?" He throws the supporter on his side, making it land next to the benches and bending then again to grab the ball from before.

"Move, Iwa-chan. I need to make another one."

"Stop it."

Tooru flinches. "Eh?"

Hajime narrows his eyes. "Oikawa."

"What?"

"Don't. Put it back on." He's serious about it and Tooru seems to realize it, but still doesn't move to get the white cloth back. "It's too uncomfortable. I'll put it back on later."

"You're overw-"

"Tobio-chan is waiting for you."

Hajime raises an eyebrow. "Tobio-chan?"

"Mhm." he hums and gets back in position to serve. "Don't worry about it anyway. Just a couple more."

Hajime snorts and turns around, walking slowly to where he was before. He can't hit him now because he wouldn't listen anyway, but there's something_ else_... He approaches Tobio and leans over him, whispering something in his ear. And Tooru doesn't like any of it: the way it looks, the way it might be, the way it is... He despises everything.

But who cares. He'll deal with it later.

He jumps for the umpteenth time and hits the ball.

It looks perfect: it's fast, powerful... It's going the right way and-

Hajime stands before it and receives it, a bit of fatigue shown on his face as it slaps against his arms, but it goes up. Tooru's eyes widen as he focuses his gaze under the net.

_Tobio._

He's standing there and the ball makes its way right to his hands and he tosses. Hajime runs up and hits it just the way they were practicing before. It hits the side of the court on which Tooru is standing and the blow is strong enough it makes it bounce off and right out of the white line, ending up next to the previously discarded knee supporter.

Everything seems to stop in that moment.

Every person in the gym stares at them in silence. And then they start cheering.

"Nice serve, Oikawa-san!"

"Nice recieve, Iwaizumi-senpai!"

"Nice toss, Kageyama! That was amazing!"

Hajime looks at Tobio with a smile on his face. "You did great." He ruffles his hair gently and Tobio can't help but smile as well. "Thank you, Iwaizumi-san." He laughs then, feeling as happy as ever because _t__his_ is what he always wanted. He looks at the spiker for way longer than he should, but he's too excited to even think about it and just keeps his eyes on him and lets him caress his hair some more before the spiker turns around once again and heads back to the older setter.

The only one who finds nothing amazing in any of this is Tooru, who's still standing on his spot, eyes wide and mouth open. He hopes that a ball will come out of nowhere and straight to his head to wake him up from this terrible nightmare.

It never comes.

_'How could everything turn into _this_?'_

He swallows hard and then shakes his head slightly when he sees Hajime approaching him and stopping a meter away from him.

"Everything alright?"

"Huh?" He's still too shocked for anything concrete to come out of his mouth. Everything's so... _unfamiliar_. He feels his blood pressure slowing down and suddenly even breathing starts to require a huge amount of energy out of him.

"You are pale." Hajime is worried now, because Tooru moves away from him and from the rest of the balls that were meant to be used during his practice as if they're burning and tries to do everything in his power to avoid Hajime's piercing gaze. "I... My leg's hurting a bit so... I'll be going out for a moment. I need to make it rest."

He doesn't give time to Hajime to answer and quickly turns on his heel, walking towards the nearest exit door faster than he wants to.

This can't be happening. Not yet.

He rubs the back his hand over his mouth and the nauseous feeling in his stomach growing, so he quickly heads to the drinking fountain next to the gym and drinks as much as his body allows him, otherwise he feels he could be throwing up everything he ate for lunch earlier. And he doesn't want that to happen. He pulls away from the water only when he can't handle any more liquid coming in and he starts to cough.

Suddenly a wave of pain coming from his knee startles him and makes his body stiffen and he's forced to let himself fall on the bench next to him. _'Dammit.'_

He takes in deep breaths to calm down.

He should've taken a break before after all; Hajime told him to but, as always, he was too much of a brat to listen to him. Maybe, if he'd done that, the scene from before wouldn't have taken place against his serve and in front of his eyes; Tobio and Hajime wouldn't-

He feels his eyes burning, his heart clenching and beating so hard in his chest that it starts to hurt and once again, he doesn't allow himself to let it out. He grips his leg tightly, with the intent to give it a massage to make the ache go away, but the frustration building inside him only makes him put too much pressure in his touch, making it even worse than before.

"Shit."

He figures he needs his knee supporter to go home and the only way to get it back would be to return in there. And he curses himself for removing it before, even because it's going to take him some time for the muscle to cool down and for him to be able to stand back on his feet.

He throws his head back letting out a heavy sigh, his eyes focusing on the cloudy sky above him. It's going to rain tonight, he's sure of it; and he only hopes it'll start when he's already home because he didn't bring anything to protect himself from the water. '_Maybe Iwa-chan...'_

He closes his eyes. _'No.'_

He's aware practice's over for him for today. He should just change his clothes and go home but that too would also imply his return inside the gym and he can't do that... He just can't; he won't be able to control himself if Tobio approaches him once more.

He bites his lip.

_'Stupid Tobio-chan...'_

He doesn't want to see _any _of _that_ again.

He'll just stay here for a while; until it ceases to hurt at least a bit.


End file.
